Lemon-Buttermilk Panna Cotta With Blueberry Sauce

Submitted by justcallmetoni

"I was lucky enough to enjoy a Cooking Light dinner and demonstration where this was the final course. It was soo silky and delicious, and you really couldn't tell that this Italian favorite had been lightened up. At the time, the recipe hadn't appeared in the magazine, so I couldn't recreate it right away but when it did... Hope you will enjoy it as much as I have. For Weight Watchers, this elegant dessert is just 4 points."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• Panna cotta

• cooking spray
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup low-fat milk or 1 cup milk
• 1⁄2 cup sugar, plus
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• Sauce

• 1⁄2 cup apple juice
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

directions

1. To prepare panna cotta, coat 8 custard cups or ramekins with cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small saucepan; let stand 10 minutes. Cook milk mixture over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until gelatin dissolves, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Increase heat to medium; add sugar, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
4. Add buttermilk and zest, stirring well.
5. Divide mixture evenly among prepared custard cups. Cover and chill at least 5 hours or up to overnight.
6. To prepare sauce, combine the apple juice, 1/4 cup sugar, zest and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; stir until sugar dissolves.
7. Reduce heat to medium and stir in blueberries. Cook until blueberries are warm and begin to pop. Cool sauce to room temperature.
8. To serve, slide a knife or spatula around the edge of the ramekins to loosen the panna cotta. Invert on dessert plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of cooled sauce on top.

Reviews

[Elmotoo]

This was easier than expected - yay! But the Panna Cotta didn't have that much flavor - next time I'll add much more lemon zest. I think adding a vanilla bean to the milk (to be strained out when pouring into custard cups) or steeping fresh mint (again, strained out) might make nice alternate flavorings. The sauce was also easy to make & delicious! I've actually had this recipe since it appeared in Cooking Light but never made it - thank you for the motivation!

 

[TommyGato]

I've made this recipe several times and am always amazed by the smooth texture and rich flavor. The recipe calls for just enough lemon to balance the buttermilk flavor. Like the other reviewer, I prefer a stronger lemon flavor and often zest an entire lemon or might add a couple teaspoons of lemon juice. Even though this strays from a more typical panna cotta, my friends and I love it. Thanks, Toni, for posting this light, easy to make, and rich tasting desert!