Panna cotta with ground cherry bourbon sauce
Featuring the flavor of heirloom Physalis pruinosa fruit combined with an Italian classic, panna cotta with ground cherry bourbon sauce is one of the best and easiest make-ahead desserts you'll ever eat!
Servings 8
Equipment
- 8 half cup serving dishes or molds
- 2 small saucepans
Ingredients
For panna cotta
- 1 cup organic heavy cream
- 3 cups organic half and half
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 packet of powdered gelatin (7 grams or 2.5 teaspoons)
- 2 tbsp cold water, for blooming gelatin
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
For ground cherry bourbon sauce
- 1 cup ground cherries (measured without husks)
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 2-3 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp water, to help prevent fruit scald
- 2 tbsp bourbon (3/4 oz) - we used Bulleit
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (added and stirred in at end)
Instructions
For panna cotta
- Put 2 tablespoons of COLD water into small microwave-safe bowl, then pour one gelatin packet into the water. Let sit and bloom for 5 minutes, then put into microwave for 10 seconds, to dissolve. Set aside.
- Put small saucepan over medium heat and add cream, half-and-half, and sugar, whisking constantly. Do NOT bring mixture to boil; only heat it to the point that it begins steaming. Remove pan from heat, add vanilla, then slowly pour in gelatin, slowly whisking as you go (don’t whisk too fast or you’ll make bubbles form on top).
- Pour hot, liquid panna cotta into either final serving dishes or into forms/molds. (See details in article.) Let cool then refrigerate for AT LEAST four hours or up to three days before serving. If not serving same-day, cover each panna cotta with plastic wrap or an equivalent. When/if removing panna cotta from molds (assuming you're not serving it in the same dish you poured it into), put hot tap water into large bowl. Dip each panna cotta into the hot water for 5-10 seconds to heat the mold (don't let water flow onto panna cotta). Remove, towel dry dish, then go around the edge of the panna cotta with a butter knife or small flexible spatula. Turn mold upside down on serving plate and pat with hand until you hear the panna cotta release.
For ground cherry sauce
- Remove ground cherry husks. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add whole ground cherries and water, and let simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently with a spoon, until ground cherries are soft and starting to pop.
- Add sugar and salt, then simmer for another 5 minutes, continuing to stir regularly. Turn heat off, but leave the saucepan on the burner to use residual heat. Add vanilla and bourbon, and stir for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool enough to cover and put in fridge. When removing from fridge, stir it with a spoon to reincorporate any bits of congealed butter. You'll want to spoon or pour the ground cherry sauce chilled atop the panna cotta.