Master Recipe 
Lemon, vanilla, cream, sugar: a culinary quartet that is right at home in this not-too-sweet silken dessert. The crowning glory is the accompanying homemade candied lemons with their sauce, which add a strong citrus tang, an essential counterpoint to the creaminess of the dessert.
6 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: Six 1/2-cup (125 ml) ramekins; a rimmed baking sheet; a sifter; a fine-mesh sieve; a large measuring cup with a pouring spout; 6 chilled dessert plates.
2 teaspoons (1 package/7 g) unflavored powdered gelatin (see Note)
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk, well chilled
1 plump, fresh vanilla bean
1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
Grated zest from 1 organic lemon
1 recipe Candied Lemon and Syrup
1. Place the ramekins side by side on the baking sheet. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the milk and stir to blend. Set aside until the gelatin “blooms” or completely absorbs the milk, 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should resemble light clouds.
3. Halve the vanilla bean lengthwise and use the tip of a small spoon to scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and vanilla bean halves in a large saucepan and combine with the remaining 1-3/4 cups (435 ml) milk, the sugar, cream, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse with the vanilla flavor.
4. Bring the cream mixture back to a simmer and stir in the softened gelatin and milk mixture. Strain the mixture through the fine-mesh sieve set over the large measuring cup. (Remove, let dry, and reserve the vanilla bean halves to make Vanilla Sugar.)
5. Divide the strained mixture evenly among the ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 8 hours.
6. To serve the panna cotta, quickly dip the bottom of each ramekin into a bowl of hot water for about 10 seconds, shaking to loosen the cream. Invert onto the chilled plates. Pour a spoonful of candied lemons and syrup over each serving of panna cotta. Serve.
NOTE: To prepare panna cotta with sheet gelatin: Conversions of powdered gelatin to sheet gelatin are universally controversial. For best results, follow the package directions. I do not like a super-firm panna cotta, so would tend to err on the side of using less gelatin. Generally, three to five 3 x 5-inch (6.5 x 11 cm) sheets equal 2 teaspoons (1 package/7 g) gelatin, depending on how firm you want your panna cotta. To soften the sheet gelatin, soak in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes, drain, and add in step 5.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: The panna cotta can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until serving time.