I wanted to make a dessert that would be perfect for serving at the end of a nice dinner, say, for example, a fancy homecooked Valentines Day meal?
So this is what I came up with. Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta with a Blood Orange Sauce. Just the colors alone make it a visually stunning dessert and you can bet your buttons that it tastes just as stunning.
Blood Oranges are in season right now, until about March(at least in my corner of the world) and I knew I just HAD to work them into a dessert. I mean, they must be one of the most lovely fruits out there. The deep red color is so beautiful and I love the flavor….just a bit sweeter than your average orange. Have you tried blood oranges before?
Panna Cotta is the perfect make ahead dessert. You can make it the day before you want to serve it, then on the day of, whip together the simple sauce, unmold the panna cotta, add sauce, and serve! If you are one who likes to prepare a nice meal on Valentines day, this dessert is perfect for that because you can make it the day before so that you can put all of your energy into the actual meal. Who doesn’t love that?!
The secret to a good panna cotta? Adding only the minimum amount of gelatin. Just enough to let it hold it’s shape, but not so much that you feel like your eating a bowl of jello. This recipe has the perfect balance, I assure you. The yogurt is so creamy and tangy, while the honey adds just the right amount of sweetness. It goes perfectly with the blood orange sauce and isn’t too heavy.
If you’ve never made a panna cotta, you should try this! Don’t be scared! If you are worried about unmolding the panna cotta, I suggest keeping it in a ramekin and then simply spooning the sauce on top. It will still look lovely.
I am Guest Posting today over at Just Between Friends, so head on over here for the Blood Orange Sauce recipe!
- 1½ C. Honey Greek Yogurt
- 2 T. fresh Lemon Juice
- ¼ C. Water
- 1 T. Gelatin(powdered)
- 1½ C. Almond or Coconut Milk
- ¼ C. Honey
- 1 recipe Blood Orange Sauce
- Mint leaves, to garnish
- Place the honey yogurt and the lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Pour the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let the gelatin bloom for at least 5 minutes.
- Place the milk and honey in a saucepan and bring just to a simmer. Add the bloomed gelatin to the milk and whisk in until it has fully dissolved.
- Pour ½ of the milk mixture into the bowl of yogurt and mix until combined and smooth. Add the remaining milk mixture and whisk until incorporated.
- Divide the mixture between 8-10 silicone molds, or 8 ramekins.
- Chill for at least 3 hours, or until set.
- To serve: Unmold the panna cottas onto small plate(dip the outside of the mold in hot water and invert) and then spoon the blood orange sauce around the panna cottas. Top with a few ribbons of mint leaf. Serve cold.
OH MY GOSH! I just discovered your blog via foodgawker and am completely entranced! I’m a personal chef and spend a lot of time looking at various food blogs, but yours has something special. Your photographs make your dishes look positively angelic, and I was floored by the delightful parties page,– you have three kids and time for THAT? The last time I put that kind of creative energy into a gathering was for my wedding…which was awesome! I now own a small bed & breakfast and your blog has re-inspired me to try some new things for my guests. Beautiful work, all around. Going to test out your white beans & lamb for dinner tonight, the panna cotta will be next. 🙂
Jenneva, I cant even tell you just how much you’ve made my day! Seriously, thank you SO much for your kind compliments, they mean a lot to me! I love what I do, so I find the time, haha. How neat that you own a bed and breakfast! That sounds like it would be an enjoyable business. I hope you like the lamb and beans, let me know how they work out if you have a chance!
Update: the lamb & beans were fantastic! I served some of the sauteed onions on top of the beans instead of blending them all in, and they provided a nice juicyness. I appreciated that it all came together pretty quickly, as well, providing that you start the beans early. Making really excellent food doesn’t have to be that much harder than making pretty good food, it just takes a little planning ahead. I’ll be keeping an eye out for your next posts 🙂
I’m so glad that you liked them! The onions on top sound nice 🙂 I’ll have to try that next time. It’s so true, isn’t it? It really doesn’t take that much more effort to make great food.
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And think you very much
Absolutely stunning Kayley! I’m loving your new header too!
Thank you so much, Karen! I’m loving the header too! And love Yours as well….I think that every time I visit your blog =)
oh my goodness! This looks so amazing! Panna Cotta is one of my favorite desserts. I’ve always made it with heavy cream which makes me feel like I’m eating 10,000 calories! I can’t wait to try this version! And a blood orange sauce is a fun change up. I normally stick with a berry coulis.
Thanks, Jesseca! I usually make it with heavy cream as well, so it’s nice that this version is a little lighter =) I’m glad you’re a fan of panna cotta, it definitely seems like a dessert that hasn’t been tried by many people.
I am a huge fan of you site, and, incredibly gorgeous photos of deliciuos food! I look forward to your updates daily. Thank you.
Thank you SO much, Christine!! I am so thankful to you for looking at the blog! Truly!
I am embarrased to admit that i spelled DELICOUS incorrectly.
Still spelled it incorrectly!
Haha, don’t feel bad. Without spell check I would be lost. I manage to spell the word ‘definitely’ wrong every. single. time.
See, I even had to look it up just now 😉
I have blood oranges in the fridge and have been looking for the perfect dessert. I think I’ve found it! What percent fat was the yogurt used?
Amanda, I use full fat honey greek yogurt, but I think any percentage would be ok =)
Hi I can’t begin to explain the joy I got when I saw this blog #heavensent. It is the most neatest and well thought piece I’ve ever seen. I’m a Food and Beverage Operations student in South Africa (in case you’re not in the country ?) I’ll be using your findings for my Beverage studies assignment, thanks for making my job – well easier ?, I just need to pair the dishes with the relevant wine. Thanks again and God bless!
I was looking around online as I´m about to make my blood orange Pavlova and i came across this recipe. I adore blood oranges, and I love the look of this recipe. I will be sure to try it out!