Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce

Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce

This recipe idea was inspired or our Oscars party to mimic "The Shape of Water" for the ladies to enjoy while we all watched to see who won this year.  
This is your basic vanilla panna cotta, but with added blue dye in order to mimic the color water, and the blackberry sauce as darker parts of the ocean.  

Seriously though, this was soooo good! Even if you didn't make the raspberry sauce! 

Ingredients: 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(blue food coloring - optional)
small basil (or mint) leaves for servingSauce:2 small containers of blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1. 1. 
      1. Directions: In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.
      2. In a large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla. 
      3. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
      4. Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate. (We used these mini-martini glasses instead, but also used ramekins for the extra cream mixture... and we ate it all.) 

For sauce:

1. Bring berries and sugar to a boil, then simmer until thickened. Strain seeds. Add back to the pan with the lemon juice and allow to simmer until thick. (If needed, added a little cornstarch with lemon juice or water to help thicken, depending on your desire.)  Allow to chill. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead.) 

Pour sauce on top of chilled panna cotta and serve with fresh blackberries and a basil leaf. 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/panna-cotta-14224