EFFIE SAHIHI / lawsofbaking.com
WHITE CHOCOLATE VANILLA BEAN PANNA COTTA
1 c whole milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
2 c heavy cream
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped
1/4 t fine sea salt
4 oz bar white chocolate, chopped
Begin by scraping the seeds from the vanilla bean pod and chop the white chocolate. Pour the milk in a small bowl or measuring cup and sprinkle the gelatin over it and set it aside for 5 minutes.
Pour the milk and gelatin mixture in a medium pot and gently heat on medium heat, whisking it frequently until it is heated all the way through, approximately 5 minutes. DO NOT allow it to come to a boil.
Once the milk is heated through, add the cream, vanilla bean seeds and pod, salt, and white chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is thoroughly heated through, without coming to a boil, an additional 5 minutes.
Once everything is thoroughly incorporated and heated, pour the mixture through a strainer to remove the vanilla pod and catch any stray bits of gelatin to ensure a smooth mixture. Make sure to use your spatula to press all of these flavorful vanilla bits through the sieve. Pour the mixture into small dessert dishes or ramekins. The number of servings depends on the size of your serving dishes.
Chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Serve chilled in the dessert dish or you can also invert the dessert onto a plate. Simply run a small sharp along the edge of the dish and then turn over onto a dish. You can serve the panna cotta plain, or topped with fruit preserves, fresh seasonal fruit, a decadent chocolate ganache, or a creamy caramel.
See this recipe with Effie’s beautiful photos and addition descriptions on her blog, www.lawsofbaking.com.
