Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Panna cotta is Italian for “cooked cream.” It is exactly that, a cooked mixture of cream, sugar and gelatin and it's a very easy dessert to make. The flavors for panna cotta are endless, spices,tea even herbs can be steeped in the cream to infuse flavor. Panna cotta is velvety sweet, creamy, decadent  and is great on its own, but even better topped with fresh fruits or a sauce.  I hope you give it a try, it's perfect for any occasion, and your family and friends will love it! 4 cups (1-quart) heavy cream 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped* 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin 3 tablespoons water Strawberry Coulis for serving (recipe below) Instructions In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring the mixture just to a simmer over medium heat. (when it starts to steam) Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small b...

This buttercream is so light-and-fluffy, with a delicate vanilla flavor. I love the look of all the little specks of vanilla bean. So pretty. So simple. So good. Let´s not forget delicous, I swear you will want to eat it by the spoonful. I have no doubt it will become a favourite recipe, for frosting your cakes and cupcakes! 1 cup salted butter, softened 2 vanilla beans (seeded) OR 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 4 cups powdered sugar 3-5 Tbsp. heavy cream (or milk if you don't have cream) Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla bean paste (or the scrapings from 2 beans*), and the vanilla extract with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides as necessary, continue mixing until it's smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time until it's all incorporated and moist. The mixture will be stiff. When all the sugar is mixed in, you can begin to add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time until the consistenc...