Panna Cotta

By Shaylie

Ingredients

• Panna Cotta:
• 1 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 2 cups homemade vanilla almond milk
• 2 tablespoons grade B maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups hulled strawberries, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Step 1

Here’s what you do:

Place two tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on the surface, and let it bloom and rehydrate. It’ll take 5 to 10 minutes for the gelatin to soften and absorb the water.

While you’re waiting for the gelatin to bloom, grab a large measuring cup and add the almond milk, maple syrup and salt. Whisk to combine.

Pour the sweetened milk into a small saucepan, add vanilla bean and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the milk is steaming hot (but not boiling), remove the pan from the heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture.

Add a couple of tablespoons of the heated milk to the gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour the gelatin into the milk mixture and stir well to combine.

Place four six-ounce ramekins or teacups onto a small rimmed baking tray. Ladle the milk into the containers. You can also pour the milk into little mason jars. Allow the cups to cool to room temperature, and then cover the ramekins with plastic wrap.

Place the tray in the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours and up to 4 days.

For the sauce, heat the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat. When it starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium and simmer the vinegar until the volume is reduced by half. It should be thick and syrupy when you draw a spatula through it.

While the vinegar simmers on the burner, slice up the strawberries. When the balsamic vinegar is reduced, add the strawberries to the saucepan along with the honey, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Simmer the fruity mixture over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the strawberries break down. Store the compote in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.

When you’re ready to serve the panna cotta, top each cup with a heaping spoonful of the berry sauce.