Chocolate Panna Cotta

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

• grapeseed oil, to grease the ramekin dishes
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

White Chocolate Ganache

• 12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped, use a high quality chocolate for the best flavor
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Garnish

• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks from a good quality chocolate bar.
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Panna Cotta

1. Brush six 3/4-cup glass custard cups with grapeseed oil.
2. Pour the milk into a mixing bowl.
3. Sprinkle gelatin over the milk and let stand about 5 minutes until gelatin softens.
4. In a medium saucepan, stir the cream and sugar over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil then remove from heat.
6. Add the chopped chocolate pieces and whisk until melted.
7. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into gelatin mixture; and stir to dissolve.
8. Stir in vanilla.
9. Working in 2 batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse 3 times to just fully blend mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX.
10. Divide mixture among custard cups.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator. Chill overnight.
12. You can make the chocolate panna cotta 2 days ahead of when you will need it.

White Chocolate Ganache

1. Make the ganach the day you serve the panna cotta.
2. Place the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over very low heat and melt the chocolate.
3. Place the cream in small saucepan over low heat, heat cream just to a simmer, stirring frequently so it does not scorch.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the melted white chocolate.
5. Pour into a glass container and let cool. Place in the refrigerator.

Assembly

1. REMOVE THE PANNA COTTA FROM THE RAMEKINS
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat once it reaches a boil.
4. Submerge a ramekin (bottom only) in the pot of hot water. Hold the ramekin in the water for 30 to 45 seconds.
5. Remove the ramekin from the water.
6. Run a dinner knife around the edge of the panna cotta to loosen it from the ramekin.
7. Turn the ramekin upside down on a serving plate. Lightly tap all sides of the ramekin to dislodge the panna cotta.
8. Slowly pull the ramekin up away from the plate.
9. The panna cotta should remain intact on the plate.
10. Pour on the white chocolate ganache.
11. Garnish with chocolate chunks and blueberries.