Since traveling to Italy this summer, I have been obsessed with panna cotta. A light, creamy and refreshing dessert that there somehow always seems to be enough room for. The great thing about a panna cotta is that you can infuse almost any flavor into the cream. Here, I use the classic vanilla pod, but I am scheming up ways to infuse the cream with basil, chocolate, hazelnuts, lime and the list is, well I guess you are starting to tell, endless. This time, however, I wanted to keep it simple. Classic vanilla inside a wibbly, wobbly Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta.
This Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta is great because greek yogurt gives the dessert a great creamy texture and the slight tang that comes with a good Greek yogurt. It balances perfectly with the sweet amber honey that is drizzled over when serving. The panna cotta was SO good, that hubby even caught me topping one with granola and having for breakfast with fruit! You know it’s good when you can have it for breakfast!
When I took these little darlings out of the fridge for the first time after letting them set, I was so worried about how to get them out of the molds! The last thing I wanted to do was scrape a knife down the sides and destroy my perfectly formed panna cottas! If they’re struggling to come out of the molds (if using), you can dip the outside of the mold into a bowl of warm water, being careful not to get any water into the panna cotta of course! This should loosen the sides enough to allow it to plop out onto a plate.
Another great thing about this dessert is that it can be prepared in advance. It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare, then it’s just poured into the molds, placed in the fridge to set and voila! Perfect for a busy dinner party as it can be done the night before and it is oh so impressive!
I think the thing I love most about this Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta is the texture. It is creamier than creamy, so smooth and refreshing. Make sure that the gelatin is completely dissolved when mixing together in order to achieve this consistency. Topping with a sliced fig instantly transports me to Mykonos, where I imagine I’m staring at the aquamarine sea and soaking in the Mediterranean sunshine and dipping a tiny spoon into a wobbling, sweet, creamy Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta.
