Panna Cotta Martini with Blueberry Compote

This dessert is beautiful. It does take a little more time than most of my recipes, but quite worth the effort. You can serve this in little dessert dishes, but martini glasses are so much more appealing.

The recipe has two parts. It is very important that each part is cooled before you put them together in a martini glass. Otherwise you won't get the lovely layering effect.

Panna Cotta Martini with Blueberry Compote

For the compote:

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (raspberries or blackberries work, too)

For the panna cotta (Italian for cooked cream):

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 envelope of powdered gelatin

1 1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

First make the compote by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
Add 1/2 cup of the berries and cook for 3 minutes, stirring and smashing the mixture.
Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the berries.
Divide evenly among 506 martini glasses.
Chill well.

Next the Panna Cotta:

Pour the buttermilk into a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and leave for 1 minute, then stir. Set it aside.
In a saucepan, stir the cream and sugar until it boils. Remove from heat.
Pour the hot cream mixture over the buttermilk. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Stir.
Let buttermilk cool to room temperature.
Pour buttermilk atop compote and chill entire dessert for 2 hours.

Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream or a mint sprig.