Blueberry panna cotta and raspberry gelatin...

We just came back from an amazing week in Sundsvall, on the coast of Sweden. The weather was OK, not exceptionally warm but sunny most of the time and very little rain during some of the nights. In Sundsvall we stayed in a lovely camping place where we set our tent couple of metres away from the sea, a beautiful sand beach. The children loved it and we did have some fun too.



I was planning to write a post about this week trip, analyze the subtle differences between Norway and Sweden but I can feel the weight of summer on my back right now and I just can't avoid the laziness which strikes me. The servings around here are quite lazy too, motivated by simplicity and the fruits for free we pick around the garden. Yesterday we had some friends for dinner and I managed to serve blueberry panna cotta for the grown ups and raspberry jelly for the kids.



I made a traditional panna cotta made out of cooked cream. However, I must confess that I prefer fake panna cotta, those without heavy cream. My fake panna cottas are made out of milk and yogurt only and I have learned to enjoy the lightness of the milk and the yogurt a lot more than the heavily fat cream. Do it as you like it...



Blueberries and Yogurt Panna Cotta


500 ml cream
6 tsp sugar
200 ml vanilla yogurt or natural
Scraps of a vanilla pod (just in case you don't have vanilla yogurt)
300g blueberries
4 teaspoons or sheets of gelatin
Chocolate shavings or fresh fruits to decorate




How to:

In a small saucepan heat the cream, the vanilla scraps (if using) and the sugar. Let the cream cook stirring all the time until the mixture boils. Meanwhile sprinkle the gelatin powder over 1/4 cup of water and let it soften for some minutes. If using sheets let the sheets soften in water and squeeze the sheets after some minutes. Add the gelatin (whatever type you are using) to the cream and whisk until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Once gelatin is dissolved let it cool completely.

Put the blueberries in a food processor or blender and pulse them until you get a smooth puree. Pour the fruit puree through a sieve into a bowl. Add the yogurt to the fruit in the bowl and whisk to incorporate fruit and yogurt. When the cream has cooled to body temperature add the cream to the fruit-yogurt mixture and whisk well to incorporate totally. Divide up the into six to eight cups or molds (depending on the size of the cup or ramekin you are using).

Refrigerate for three to four hours before serving. You can decorate your panna cottas with chocolate shavings or fresh fruits.

To remove the panna cottas from their cups just dip the bottom of the cups into a bowl of hot water, shake a little bit the cup to make sure the sides are released and flip the cup over on a plate. If you prefer, you can oil the cups a little before filling them with the cream mixture as it can helps to transfer the panna cottas.




Raspberry gelatin


4 (four) cups of fresh raspberries (you can use strawberries, red currants or any other red fruit)
1/2 cup of sugar (add more if you prefer sweeter)
1 cup cold water + 1/2 cup to softens gelatin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 teaspoons of gelatin powder or agar-agar

How:

In a bowl of a blender or food processor puree the raspberries with sugar and one cup of cold water. Put the mixture through a fine sieve and transfer it to a big bowl. Add the lemon juice and whisk well. Transfer two cups of the juice mixture to a sauce pan and let it boil over medium heat. Meanwhile let the gelatin soften in half cup of cold water. Add the softened gelatin to the boiled juice and whisk well until gelatin is completely melted. Mix boiled juice with remaining cold juice and whisk well to incorporate the mixtures. Divide the liquid between 10 to 12 cups.

Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or over night before serving.
Serve with fresh raspberries or strawberries. I used wild strawberries from our garden.



Serves 10 to 12.