Honey Mascarpone Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Syrup
I gazed at the calendar on Tuesday, admiring four whole days’ worth – Tuesday to Friday – of empty boxes. Huzzah! I could work on the three articles I have due at my leisure, plan and shop for the seven-course dinner party I’m cooking for on Saturday night (a silent auction item for Alberta Heart & Stroke) and perhaps even begin to reclaim the basement, which was half gutted on Monday when they came to dismantle the Buick-sized furnace and replace it with a new one, and install new pipes and ducts, which meant not only MOVING EVERYTHING (I don’t know about your basement, but mine is mighty full of crap) including the washer and dryer, and tearing out the top half of the stairs. As home reno projects are wont to do, it created a domino effect that made us wonder if while we’re at it we should paint the floor, tear out that section of fake floor in one corner that looks to be about 80 years old, maybe put in some shelving…
And oh – my other news? Looks like there is going to be a Dinner with Julie book! Maybe. Provided, that is, I can get a manuscript together by the end of December. A massive one. So in a month and a half. No pressure. This week I could get going on that, too.
Which brings me back to the calendar. So I was yawning and stretching in my mind, plotting mornings spent at coffee shops on my laptop and cathartic afternoons purging/cleaning/painting the basement, when the phone rang – could I do traffic on the Homestretch all this week? But of course.
Which is great fun, of course. I don’t mind at all, and in fact it’s great timing, fitting right in to my empty(ish) week like well-played Tetris. But I won’t be catching up on anything anytime soon.
I figured this was as good a week as any to play “what’s in the freezer?” – a sort of game of Russian roulette where I pull something out isn’t labeled and is taking up too much space, and we eat it. Sometimes it works out and we eat well – other times I have to figure out what to do with a baggie full of thawed tuna. It’s kind of fun, actually.
Tonight it was thawed lentil-barley-sausage soup that Mike might have eaten, but W surely didn’t. I came home late and finished half his cold grilled cheese, then rifled through the fridge and found some mascarpone (easy to find, I picked mine up at Co-op) which I ate with a spoon. It reminded me of the reason I bought it to begin with, to write about for Swerve and make mascarpone panna cotta. I know, it’s a stretch – but will you take it? It’s all I’ve got. The pomegranate syrup makes a tart contrast to the creamy panna cotta. It’s good drizzled into fizzy drinks, too.
Honey Mascarpone Panna Cotta with (or without) Pomegranate Syrup
AuthorJulie
Pour the cream into a medium pot and sprinkle with gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the gelatin soften. Set the pot over medium heat and stir, warming the cream but not letting it boil, until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Add the mascarpone (I just eyeball it, adding a large spoonful) and honey and cook, stirring, until the mascarpone is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into individual wine glasses, small dishes or ramekins. (If you want to unmould them onto a plate to serve them, spray the dishes with nonstick spray first.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set. (These can be made up to a few days in advance; cover each dish with plastic wrap to avoid having them dry out on top.)
To make the pomegranate syrup, simmer the pomegranate juice, sugar and orange peel in a small pot set over medium heat until it reduces by half. Remove the peel and cool completely - it should have the consistency of syrup. (This too can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated.)
Serve your panna cotta in the ramekins or unmoulded onto a small plate, drizzled with pomegranate syrup.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour the cream into a medium pot and sprinkle with gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the gelatin soften. Set the pot over medium heat and stir, warming the cream but not letting it boil, until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Add the mascarpone (I just eyeball it, adding a large spoonful) and honey and cook, stirring, until the mascarpone is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into individual wine glasses, small dishes or ramekins. (If you want to unmould them onto a plate to serve them, spray the dishes with nonstick spray first.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set. (These can be made up to a few days in advance; cover each dish with plastic wrap to avoid having them dry out on top.)
To make the pomegranate syrup, simmer the pomegranate juice, sugar and orange peel in a small pot set over medium heat until it reduces by half. Remove the peel and cool completely - it should have the consistency of syrup. (This too can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated.)
Serve your panna cotta in the ramekins or unmoulded onto a small plate, drizzled with pomegranate syrup.
Ah home renos…….they wait for you.
I love panna cotta. This one you wrote about in Swerve magazine, did you not? Sure beats my day old frozen pizza I had for dinner. YUK
The color of that pomegranate syrup is gorgeous! Panna cotta is one of my favorites because it is so delicious and amazing in its simplicity.
ps: All Americans everywhere have basements full of crap! People just don’t do this in the rest of the world!
Thats great news about the DWJ book!
The panna cotta looks beautiful – and festive. I have to make this; I have pomagranate arils that need using up(any excuse to eat marscapone hehe)
Six weeks for a DwJ book? That’s unheard of, if you ask me.
Home renos=no fun. Hang in there!
Excellent news on the book! Sign me up for a copy!
congrats! i can picture you in the coffee shop, fingers flying on the laptop, flames surging up to your elbow, hopped up on coffee fumes.
Congrats on the book! Thats fantastic =D. This looks delicious!
Julie,
Thank you so much for the pomegranate syrup recipe – I have been looking for something like this for homemade gifts, but do you think it would only last a week?
A DWJ book would rock!
Hi Julie,
Here I thought I was the only one who said “I will remember what that is” before tossing unmarked into the freezer. My New Years resolution to stop doing that falls apart about midyear. Does make for some inspirational/interesting meals. Great about the book!! Of course, you will get it done…the number of hours in the day will be extended in your honour (may not be popular with other people). I get tired just thinking about what you squeeze into a day.
Erin – I think it would totally last longer! I’ve never tried it, but it’s syrup.. it should keep very well! Great idea to give it as gifts!
Soooo Looking forward to your DWJ Book!!
I tried out your maple tarts! Such a hit!
Your super women, Im mid 20’s no kids a schedule
not nearly as busy as yours! I dont know how you
do it!! enjoy some down time, you deserve it.
This looks delicious! I had been planning to search for a Panna Cotta recipe for such a long time but thought it would be too difficult to make so it remained on my to-do recipe list. I can’t wait to try this as it pairs so many tasty ingredients.
So excited to get your book….
Julie, how exciting about the book! Good for you. If you’re taking early orders, count me in!
I’ve never had panna cotta and think I’ll give this a try, it sounds so good and I love the idea of gifting the syrup. Home made food gifts are so fun to give & receive!
Hubby refuses to play that game alone. No sense of adventure some times!
It sounds like our basements are twins these days.
You will get it all done, you always do.
Echoing the same sentiments here, as everyone else, a DWJ cookbook would be great! I spend far too much time writing a recipe down or stepping over to the computer to follow yours.
Did you see November’s Food and Wine? There’s a recipe for Vanilla-and-Cider Panna Cotta that is going to be perfect for Thanksgiving (color and flavor wise) and your recipe is going to be perfect for Christmas. It’s gorgeous! Believe it or not, I get satiated on super rich desserts during the holidays… but your panna cotta will be my “healthy” dessert 😉
Congratulations on your delicious news. Ready for my copy of Dinner With Julie – get writing!
Congratulations on the new book deal! I can’t wait to see it — and I just know you can write it by the end of December!!!
Drop everything and start writing! So exciting.
Yea ! a DWJ book !
Please include a great index and decent table of contents. Too many cute books are nice to flip through – but when you try to look something up by main ingredient
or classification, you are up the creek.(without a paddle)
We’re having Sweet potato and spinach gratin tonight.
All I heard while reading the entry was Freddy Mercury singing “Under Pressure”…exciting news about the book. I affectionately call those fridge/freezer suprises slop-du-jour. Shockingly enough, they are some of my scrummiest creations. Cheers.
Okay – that looks good but Julie, I must tell you, my husband whisked me away on a little trip this morning to a surprise location and tonight – I am lounging in MONTREAL! I’ve never been here before but I’ve read your blogs about the food here so tonight we ‘pigged’ out at Au Pieds du Cochons… Should there be such a thing as Fois Gras Poutine? Oh yes, oh yes there should…
That is so, so fabulous about your book deal!! I hope you start writing so we can have it in our hands soon!
What’s your idea for the book? Will it just be a book on all the recipes featured here, or will the day’s write-up entry be included with them? Also, when will the book be out in bookstores?
Hi Julie, I tried panna cotta once, but have never made it on my own…
I hate to be practical, but start by breaking your book down into workable sections (you’ve decided on a lay out?). Then make a plan to work on sections. Much less overwhelming. Will you be using new recipes, or largely your ones online? Hopefully you don’t have to completely re-invent the wheel?
You’re going to do an awesome job on your book! 🙂
I’m making a huge effort to NOT have a snack before I go to bed. Thinking about a DwJ book isn’t helping me ignore my cravings.