Wow, it is cold here on the East Coast! Winter has finally arrived in these parts with temperatures that have not been seen in a century (although it is supposed to be 30 degrees warmer in a few days…amen sister!). The local news is warning everyone to stay inside but I have never been one to listen. I start to go rather stir crazy if I don’t get out of the house so….what better to do then hit the local markets all bundled up in cozy down and (faux) fur??
These January days always feel so brown and beige however my kitchen affords me one way to add a pop of color to my world. I love buying a pile of pomegranates that I can use in everything from salads to meats to dessert (ok, cocktails too). I know getting the seeds out can at times leave your kitchen looking like something akin to a murder scene but it is rewarding to see that pile of little seeds grow. (To let you in on a little secret, when I find myself home alone for dinner, I sometimes sit on the couch with a huge bowl to catch all the juices, and slowly peel and eat one for dinner while binge watching my fave Netflix shows.)
Although I love the process of getting those little seeds out of their shell, I recognize that sometimes you just don’t have the time. I recently spied cups of pomegranate seeds already shelled for sale at our local large grocery store chain. (I also noticed the price tag on those little cups – OMG!)
After my chilly shopping trip, I decided I should share the fruits of my labor with friends for a cozy dinner by the fire. I needed an easy dessert – panna cotta and pomegranates to the rescue! Panna cotta is such a wonderfully simple yet elegant dessert – a backdrop to accentuate whatever your heart desires. Keep it plain and drizzle with a tasty sauce or add flavorings that transform it. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I was thinking pink so I made two batches – one a darker red and a lighter pink to mix things up a bit. For an alternate version, you can also layer the two colors in each serving dish.
Here is hoping that spring comes quickly and that pomegranates brighten your day as much as they do for me!
Buon appetito,
Michele
Pomegranate Panna Cotta
Description
Panna cotta – a simple Italian dessert that provides the perfect backdrop to seasonal flavors!
Ingredients
For the red panna cotta:
· Pomegranate seeds
· 2 ½ cups pomegranate juice, divided
· 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
· ½ cup whole (full fat) milk
For the pink panna cotta:
· Pomegranate seeds
· 1/3 cup pomegranate juice
· 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
· 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
· 1 cup sugar
· ½ cup whole (full fat) milk
· Additional pomegranate seeds for garnish
· Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the red panna cotta: In each of three small ramkeins or dessert cups (about 6 ounces each), sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds.
Place ½ cup pomegranate juice into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the pomegranate juice. Set aside and allow to bloom.
Place remaining 2 cups of pomegranate juice in a small saucepan. Stir in sugar and heat over high heat, stirring the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until reduced to about 1 ½ cups liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. Stir until completely melted.
Add in the heavy cream and milk. Stir well to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the dessert cups and refrigerate until firm.
Make the pink panna cotta: In each of three small ramkeins or dessert cups (about 6 ounces each), sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds.
Place 1/3 cup pomegranate juice into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the pomegranate juice. Set aside and allow to bloom.
Place cream in a small saucepan. Stir in sugar and heat gently over medium heat, stirring the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Heat cream mixture until simmering.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the pomegranate gelatin mixture and stir until completely melted. Stir in the milk. Divide the mixture evenly among the dessert cups and refrigerate until firm.
Once firm, sprinkle top of panna cotta with pomegranate seeds. Dust with powdered sugar and serve!
I love pomegranates in all kinds of savory and sweet dishes, and I too, sit by the tv watching a movie, plucking out all those seeds one by one. I love the idea of making a panna cotta with them too, something I have never done.
Pomegranates are wonderful, although it was only later in life that I grew to appreciate them We had a huge pomegranate tree in our yard back in Rome, and we had as many as we wanted for free—but we scarcely used any! Didn’t really know what to do with them. Too bad we didn’t have the internet back then to find lovely recipes like this one… The combination of creamy panna cotta and pomegranate sounds delightful.
Thanks so much!!