Panna Cotta with Chocolate Sauce

I bought Vanilla beans from Costco a few days ago and wanted to try something simple. I did a little searching online when I came across the Panna Cotta recipe by Giada De Laurentiis. Another reason why I was so attracted to this recipe was because the ingredient list wasn't very long. When I made this, I didn't know what to expect because I've never had Panna Cotta before. Needless to say, I was blown away by this simple dessert. So creamy and has a rich vanilla flavor to it. Dr. Sweetpea kept saying this was absolutely delicious. I think this is his new favorite creamy dessert right now :o) I served ours with Chocolate sauce, but you definitely don't need to.

Panna Cotta with Chocolate Sauce

(Source: Giada De Laurentiis and America's Test Kitchen)

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin

3 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped (my addition)

Pinch salt

2 cups assorted fresh berries

Place the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour milk mixture into a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves but the milk does not boil, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, honey, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour into 6 wine glasses so that they are 1/2 full. (I poured ours into ramekins.) Cool slightly. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours. Spoon the berries atop the panna cotta and serve. (I drizzled chocolate sauce on ours instead.) (***Note: a film develops on top of the Panna Cotta while it chills in the fridge. Prevent this by placing a thin layer saran wrap on top of the Panna Cotta, and remove before serving.***)

Chocolate Sauce

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I’m using Semi Sweet Chocolate next time)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring cream, butter, corn syrup, and confectioners’ sugar to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla until sauce is smooth. Serve warm. These sauces can be refrigerated for at least a week. If the sauce is best served at room temperature, let it warm up on the counter. If the sauce is best served warm, pour it into a medium saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until warm and smooth. To reheat a sauce in the microwave, pour it into a microwave-safe bowl and heat, uncovered, for 20 seconds. Stir and repeat in 15- to 20-second increments until the sauce is warm and smooth. (***Perfect to use on top of ice cream too.***)