Remember that time I had a bunch of fresh homegrown California lemons? Well…I still have them. So get ready for even more lemon desserts!

I kind of forgot panna cotta existed. That is until Liz at Floating Kitchen made some a few weeks ago and I suddenly remembered how delicious this dessert is.

If you’ve never had panna cotta before, it can be a little hard to explain. The translation from Italian is “cooked cream” and is essentially just that: sweetened cream with a little bit of gelatin for it to set in the mold. I wanted to say it’s like a jello + custard combo…but that sounds much less appetizing than what panna cotta really is.

Do you know what else panna cotta is? Easy. Like all you have to do is warm ingredients on the stove, pour into dishes, and let chill in the refrigerator. That easy. Yet it sounds fancy, tastes amazing, and looks like something you would spend hours working on. Aka something you should make for an OMG-I-have-to-really-impress-people-but-I-have-no-time moment. You’re welcome.

Traditionally panna cotta is unmolded and inverted onto a plate for eating, but you can easily eat it straight from the dish. Don’t have ramekins? Use wine glasses! Get creative. And get creative with your toppings. I personally like honey on mine, while some prefer fruit or chocolate. You really can’t go wrong.

If you’ve never made panna cotta I really hope you give it a try! I promise it will be a hit.

~Stephanie

Lemon Panna Cotta (adapted from The Kitchn)

• 1 1/2 c whole milk
• 3 tsp powdered gelatin
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon (~1 tbsp)

1. Lightly grease 6 ramekins with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Before turning on burner, pour milk into saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Turn burner onto low and slowly warm the milk, dissolving the gelatin. Do not boil the milk. You just want the milk to be warm, never hot. Stir frequently.
4. To test if the gelatin is completely dissolved, dip a spoon into the milk and look for distinct grains of the gelatin remaining on the back of the spoon.
5. Once gelatin is dissolved, stir in the sugar and continue stirring until it is dissolved as well.
6. Remove from heat and whisk in whipping cream, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
7. Divide mixture evenly into ramekins and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
8. To remove from ramekins, run a sharp knife along the edge and invert on a plate. Shake or pry out gently if needed.
9. Serve with desired toppings.