White Chocolate Raspberry Panna Cotta

My last panna cotta was one of my favorite recipes from this past year. Although both hubby and I loved it, we haven’t made it since mostly for one reason: it’s not exactly low-cal nor heart healthy.

So as an excuse to make it again, I decided to lower the guilt slightly by substituting in some Chobani Greek yogurt. But who knew such a simple substitution could mess with the chemistry of the thing so much?! It took me a good amount of re-does and tweaks to perfect this recipe, whew! But the hard work paid off. Not only did it turn out delish but I discovered that it’s awesomely versatile. After making this recipe, I also experimented by using flavored Chobani instead of plain and came up with a key lime pie version with graham cracker crumbs (recipe will come next time). Now I can’t wait to try out all the other Chobani flavors for new creations. Maybe chocolate coconut or peach cobbler?

I’m also adding this to hubby’s homecoming meal. So far the menu is this panna cotta and smoked ribs. Any other suggestions for man-approved food?

White Chocolate Raspberry Panna Cotta
Fills 8-10 two-ounce cups*

Panna Cotta:

• 1 cup Chobani plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp gelatin powder
• 3 Tbsp cold water

Raspberry Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp gelatin powder
• 1/4 cup cold water

White Chocolate Mousse:

• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 1/2 tsp gelatin powder
• 6 oz. (about 1 cup) quality white chocolate, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

Panna Cotta:
Pour cold water into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top of it and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the cream and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the cream is hot. Pour over the gelatin and stir to dissolve. Then whisk in the yogurt and vanilla.
Fill your serving cups 2/3 of the way full and refrigerate. Wait about 1 hour until set before adding the next layer.

Raspberry Sauce:
Pour cold water into a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
Place raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Smash larger raspberry chunks with your spoon while stirring. Pour over your gelatin and mix to dissolve. Bring to almost room temperature before pouring over the panna cotta. Refrigerate for about an hour until set.

White Chocolate Mousse:
Pour water into a mixing bowl and sprinkle powder over it. Let sit 5 minutes.
Heat 1/2 cup of the heavy cream on the stove or in the microwave until it starts to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the gelatin and stir to dissolve. Then add chocolate pieces and stir until melted and smooth. If you need to reheat slightly to melt it all, do so. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold that gradually into the white chocolate mixture. Then either spoon or pipe the mousse over top of the set raspberry layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve and garnish with leftover raspberries.

*If you’re looking for some cute dessert cups like mine, these are some good ones: here, here

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