Chocolate Panna Cotta

Panna cotta means "cooked cream" in Italian and is a very adaptable recipe; it can be flavored with just about anything. If you want to leave out the cocoa powder from this recipe, you can add some vanilla bean and have vanilla panna cotta. Or add a touch of honey or a little pureed blueberries. You really can flavor it any way you like.

When you cook this, be sure to gently heat the mixture. Do not let it boil. Make sure all the sugar has dissolved before removing it from the heat.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Makes enough for 6 large panna cottas or 12 small ramekins, with some leftover.

1 1/2 cups whole milk

4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

4 1/2 cups heavy cream

Good quality cocoa powder, 2 to 4 tablespoons

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Chocolate and white chocolate bars, for garnish

Put the milk in a medium saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Let it stand for about 5 minutes to soften. Turn heat to medium and stir milk just until the gelatin dissolves.

Add the cream, sugar and salt. Whisk in the cocoa powder until you get the amount of chocolate you like. Whisk over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves, just a few minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (ihavenet.com pour the mixture into a 6-cup Pyrex to cool.) Stir mixture frequently during cooling to prevent skin from forming. Pour the cream mixture into 6 martini glasses or into a dozen small ramekins.

Cover and refrigerate. Chill until set.

With a vegetable peeler, shave small chocolate curls from each of the chocolate bars onto the panna cotta.

Can be made the day before.

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Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Serves 6-8

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Macaroon Kiss Cookies

2 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cups butter, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon juice from a fresh orange
10 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided in to 6 cup and 4 cup portions
1 bag Hershey Kisses (48 pieces)

Step 1:  In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Step 2:  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, vanilla and orange juice and beat till smooth. 

Step 3:  In 1 cup increments, mix flour in to the butter mixture.  Add the 6 cups flaked coconut and beat to combine.

Step 4:  Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. While dough is chilling, remove wrappers from the Kisses.

Step 5:  Preheat oven to 350.  One at a time, scoop dough into 1" balls, then roll in the bowl of remaining coconut (4 cups).  Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, at least an inch apart (cookies will spread slightly).  A standard cookie sheet should accommodate a dozen cookies at a time.  Bake 12 minutes, until the cookies puff and are very lightly browned. 

Step 6:  Remove from oven.  Immediately press one Kiss into each cookie.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional minute.

Step 7:  Remove pan from oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.  With a thin spatula, gently move cookies on to a rack to finish cooling.

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