When i was young and lived in Greece, one of my favorite desserts that I would order out at dinner, or if I was fortunate and my mother made it at home, was the Panna Cotta. The dessert itself is a delectable, luscious treat that is similar to a creamier Jell-o in texture. It can be eaten plain as it is sweet from the milk and vanilla or prepped with fresh fruit. My take on the traditional Panna Cotta recipe features honey for an added touch of sweetness and a mango topping sauce for an exotic twist on a traditional favorite.
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Inactive: 6 hours or overnight
Ingredients
For the Panna Cotta
1 Vanilla Bean
1 Tablespoon of honey
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup milk
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup of sugar
1 packet of unflavored gelatin
For the Mango Topping Sauce
1 mango, diced
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup water
½ cup pineapple orange juice
1 ½ tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
For the Panna Cotta
- Place cream in a saucepan over a medium-low heat.
- Halve the vanilla bean long wise and add the seeds and pod to the cream.
- Add the sugar and let it simmer.
- Add the honey and stir.
- In a separate bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until the gelatin softens.
- Pour the gelatin mixture into the heavy cream mixture and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
- Stir in the yogurt, and keep stirring until dissolved and mixed in with the mixture
- Let it cool/set in saucepan for a couple of minutes (10 minutes max)
- Place in either separate bowls for serving or in a large one and cover with plastic wrap
- Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight
- Garnish with fresh fruit of choice or with chocolate fudge and serve and enjoy.
For the Mango Topping Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat and stir
- As mangoes start to soften from the heat, mash them gently
- Keep stirring until mixture thickens to desired consistency
- If after 15 minutes it is still too runny, add ½ a pack of unflavored gelatin to thicken it
Cooking Therapy 
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