I’m on a milk kick.  Real milk that is.  Straight from the cow. It’s sooooo good.  Say what you will about the bacteria and pasteurization, this stuff is way better then the watered down crap at the store.  It’s totally worth the non-existent risk.  Try it, I dare you.

 

My husband has been working for a friend at his restaurant/farm for about a year.  This is no regular farm.  He built his house on his families land and now he runs an amazing supper club style eatery out of his home.  You can check it out here.  One of the perks of my husband working there is the amount of food he brings home, including fresh milk from the cows.

 

So I decided to do something with this milk.  We had already been drinking it constantly, I’ve been cooking and baking with it, but I wanted something that would really show off the milk itself.

Panna Cotta.

 

If you’re not familiar with it, you need to be.  Now.  It’s amazing. Like melt in your mouth creamy goodness. It’s sooo yummy.  Slightly less thick then crème brulee, and since there are no eggs it takes on a slightly silkier texture.  It is definitely a favorite.  And quite possibly, the easiest, most foolproof dessert ever.

 

Heat, melt, stir, cool and eat.

 

It’s really that simple.  The gelatin does the work for you.

 

Yes, yes, I know.  Gelatin.  Vegetarians beware.  It’s a fabulous product and one of the few of its type I use, but if you’re into desserts the way I am, it is your friend.

 

The recipe here is not my own.  You can however make simple adjustments in flavor, like say chocolate or orange zest.  I prefer the recipe as is, topped with loads of fresh berries, just the way Giada wrote the recipe.

 

I love her, by the way.  She is gorgeous; she cooks amazing food, who wouldn’t?  I’m pretty sure men watch her show just to stare at her in low cut tops.  I mean really food network, who cooks in those outfits?  I guess Giada does since she can ruin them with grease and flour and not worry.

 

Try this recipe, regardless of your raw vs. pasteurized milk preferences.  Either way it is amazing.  It’s a great way to wow people at a dinner party, since it looks so fancy, yet is so easy.

 

Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

 

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

 

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin

3 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch salt

2 cups assorted fresh berries

 

Directions

1.  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, 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. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours.  You can also pour the mixture into ramekins and invert them onto plates just before serving.

2.  Spoon the berries atop the panna cotta and serve.