Vanilla Yogurt Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

I love panna cotta but not all the cream that goes into making them. 

Solution? Panna cotta made with yogurt.  Now if you’re not a lover of yogurt you may be wondering how they taste.

Well, I tried them out on my husband who’s definitely not a yogurt lover, and he loved them.

I used Greek-style yogurt which is creamier, and added honey and a vanilla bean for sweetness.  

But the pièce de résistance is the raspberry coulis sweetened with a little bit of powdered sugar. I didn’t bother straining the coulis, instead I added whole raspberries to the sauce.

The result is a divine sauce filled with chunky pieces of fruit that goes beautifully with the creamy yogurt panna cotta.

Preparation time:  25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons unflavoured powdered gelatin
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
1 vanilla bean
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

Raspberry Coulis

1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon water

How to Make

1. You will need 4 x ½ cup panna cotta molds. Place these in the fridge to chill.

2. Place one tablespoon of the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the gelatin and let stand without stirring until the gelatin softens. This will take about 10 minutes.

3. Pour the remaining milk into a small saucepan. Using a sharp knife split the vanilla pod lengthwise into two halves and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the pot, discarding the pod. Set the pan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer without boiling.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the gelatin mixture then stir until completely dissolved. This may take about 3 – 5 minutes. Transfer the milk mixture to a jug and leave to cool down until it is lukewarm (about 10 minutes).

5. Spoon the yogurt into a medium mixing bowl and whisk until it is smooth. Gradually whisk the milk mixture and 2 tablespoons of honey into the yogurt. This is the point where you taste test. If it’s not quite sweet enough, add another tablespoon of honey.

6. Pour the mixture into four ½ cup ramekins or panna cotta molds and chill until almost set. Then cover with plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours or overnight.

How to Prevent Panna Cotta from Sticking

To make removing the panna cotta easier, sparingly oil the molds first.  I do this by wetting a piece of paper towel with oil then lightly wiping it around the inside of the molds.

Raspberry Coulis

Place ¾ cup raspberries, powdered sugar and water in a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.   Stir through remaining raspberries and chill until required.

To Serve

• Immerse molds in a small amount of hot water for a few seconds and invert into dessert glasses or onto individual plates.

• Give the molds a good shake and then carefully remove molds to gently release panna cotta. If your panna cotta stubbornly refuses to budge, run a small sharp knife around the edge and gently ease it away from the sides of the mould.

• Spoon raspberry coulis over the top and serve.