Goat Cheese Panna Cotta

I think panna cotta is quickly becoming one of my favorite desserts. So easy, elegant, and you do it ahead of time, so it's especially good for entertaining! (hmmm, maybe i should try entertaining someone besides myself!) I cut the recipe in half and mixed about some of the ingredients to take advantage of what I had in my fridge. With another success in the books/blog, I shall have to try experimenting a bit more with it!!


Goat Cheese Panna Cotta
adapted from Enlightened Cooking
Serves 4

1 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2T water
1/2c and 2T skim milk
1T vanilla caramel coffee mate (I added this to get some fat, as my dairy products were fat-free and wasn't sure how it would turn out)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 ounces goat cheese
1/2c plus 2T Trader Joe's European Nonfat Yogurt
optional, for garnish: fresh berries, arils, and jam


Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Bring milk, coffee mate, vanilla bean, and powdered sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat; remove vanilla bean and, with tip of knife, scrape seeds into milk mixture (discarding the bean, or use it to make vanilla sugar if you so desire!).

Whisk in gelatin mixture and goat cheese until smooth. Whisk in yogurt until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among 4 (6-ounce) ramekins. Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.

Loosen edges with a knife. Place a plate, upside down, on top of each cup; invert onto plates. I topped mine off with some warmed up fruit spread and fresh berries and arils just to make it look pretty :)