holiday-spiced panna cotta

holiday-spiced panna cotta topped with dried turkish figs, pumpkin granola, maple syrup, and fresh blackberries

this is another anytime recipe that works especially well for entertaining during the holidays. light yet creamy. rich yet tangy. served in individual glass containers i almost think of these little darlings like a pre-dessert. a warm-up, even. something that comes before the heavier chocolate fudge and pecan pies.

i chose to compliment the sweetness of the vanilla and creamy tang of the buttermilk with warm spices of nutmeg and cinnamon. you can serve the panna cotta solo, topped with fresh berries, or as i did for breakfast this morning: with a drizzle of maple syrup topped with dried turkish figs, pumpkin granola, and fresh blackberries.

yields: 8 small servings; 4 medium servings

prep time: 12 hours, plus

cook time: 5 minutes

what you will need

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

little darlings cooling before going into the fridge

arrange your glass containers on a tray or baking pan. pour 1/4 cup of the cream in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top; leave to dissolve and soften for about 8 minutes.

combine the rest of the cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar in a medium saucepan. split open the vanilla bean and scrape the contents into the spiced cream. bring to a boil.

add the dissolved gelatin cream and the buttermilk into the saucepan; whisk to combine. turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. allow to cool a few minutes.

divide the mixture evenly into the glass containers. cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. the panna cotta will last 36 hours, covered, in the fridge.

to serve: top with fresh fruit, nuts, agave syrup, or anything you like. for breakfast this morning i topped my panna cotta with turkish figs, maple syrup, and fresh black berries.

topping the panna cotta

panna cotta on repeat: topped with fresh blackberries