Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries and Herbs
Fantastic. The addition of the buttermilk and the crème fraîche (I used sour cream) to a standard panna cotta gave a great mouthfeel to the finished dish. It was smooth but not as sour or tart as I'd feared it might be, and it had a great clean finish. I used vanilla bean, which I really recommend if possible. We topped our panna cottas with macerated cherries and mint, and they were fabulous -- a great summer dessert!
Ingredients
- 1/4 ounce powdered gelatin (1 package)
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (preferably whole milk)
- 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh berries or fruit, hulled and sliced (see headnote for ideas)
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped or torn (see headnote for ideas)
- sugar to taste