Panna Cotta with Lemon Blueberry topping

I have never eaten panna cotta. Why I have never eaten or tired to eat panna cotta was always a mystery to me. Was it a texture thing? Was I afraid of what the consistency would be? Maybe it was because I never had cute glassware to put them in. People would post pictures of their panna cotta masterpieces in adorable glassware, the perfect snooth white gel overlayed with the perfect colorful fruit accompaniment, all set up with tiny matching spoon and cute napkins on a perfect platter, ready to be eaten. After browsing for years and seeing these pictures I decided 1. I NEED cute glassware! and 2. at this rate, a panna cotta would never emerge from my kitchen and I would be doomed to wonder for the rest of my life.

But I was invited to a dinner party. I had two hours. And I needed to whip up something quick and delicious. And what I had wanted to make would have taken a substantially longer time. So enter: Panna cotta! with a blueberry and lemon topping!

Blueberry Lime Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta
2 cups heavy cream (or half-and-half if you want to cut calories)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 packets powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water

Lightly grease 8 ramekins or cups with oil.

In a large saucepan, heat cream and sugar until sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, combine powdered gelatin and cold water. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, after the gelatin has set, stir into the cream and sugar mixture. Stir until the gelatin completely dissolves into the cream.

Blueberry Lime Sauce
2 cups (1 pint) blueberries
2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

To begin, zest each lime. Make sure the zest is a fine zest. You may the slice the zest into smaller pieces with a knife if this is not the case. Take one of the zested limes and juice it. Set aside.


In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries, lime zest, the juice of one lime, and the sugar. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes to allow the blueberries to soften and release their juices. Stir occasionally. When cooked, add the cornstarch to the sauce to thicken.