Vanilla Panna Cotta

I love my friend N and she loves panna cotta. It was over a month ago that I decided to make her some panna cotta. I do not remember the occassion, but she did help me immensely when I was having car troubles so perhaps I was being nice? Can't remember.

Panna cotta is super easy to make since baking is not even necessary. I tweaked a recipe for vanilla panna cotta that I had found on epicurious.

The recipe ask that you mix 4 tsp of unflavored gelatin into 2 cups of cream until it gets soft, but I was afraid the finished product would be too stiff so only used 3 tsp.

While the gelatin softens, heat 2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the beans from 2 vanilla beans until the sugar has dissolved, amount 2 minutes. If you do not have vanilla beans, you can add 4 tsp of extract after the sugar has dissolved.

Whisk in the cream mixture to the milk mixture slowly. If you see lumps, make sure to strain this through a fine mesh sieved. Ladle the mixture to ramekins. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has stiffen (about 6 hours).

I did not have enough ramekins for the amount of mixture so I used some of my white stemless wine glasses, which actually looked really nice.

I made my own quick strawberry sauce (heated 2 pints of strawberries, half cup of sugar, quarter cup of water, until the strawberries have broken down- adjust sugar and water if necessary) and spooned some on top.

I still have not figured out my light box and it's driving me insane! Photo above is with no flash and looks too yellow. Photo below is with a flash, white but horrible!