Make Ahead

Pomegranate-Vanilla Panna Cotta

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Start to Finish: 2 Hours 40 Minutes 8 servings

• Pomegranate Layer
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate-flavored liqueur
• Vanilla Layer
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1½ cups milk
• ⅔ cup sugar
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 1½ cups whipping cream

1 In 1-quart saucepan, sprinkle 2 teaspoons gelatin over pomegranate juice; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Heat over low heat about 30 seconds or just until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar; heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in liqueur. Cool to room temperature.

2 Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, sprinkle envelope of gelatin over milk; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes or just until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in ⅔ cup sugar and the vanilla seeds. Continue stirring over low heat about 2 minutes longer or until sugar is dissolved (mixture should not boil or steam). Remove from heat; stir in whipping cream with whisk. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer.

3 Place cooling rack in refrigerator. While holding stemmed glass (such as champagne flute or parfait glass) at an angle, pour about 2 tablespoons vanilla mixture into glass. Carefully place glass in refrigerator, keeping angle by propping stem on rack and leaning glass against side of refrigerator. Repeat, filling 7 more glasses as directed. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Keep remaining vanilla mixture at room temperature.

4 Carefully pour about 2 tablespoons pomegranate mixture into each glass, keeping same angle. Return to refrigerator for 30 minutes or until firm.

5 Carefully pour remaining vanilla mixture over pomegranate layer, holding glasses upright. Refrigerate on flat surface at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.

1 Serving: Calories 260; Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 9g, Trans Fat 0.5g); Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 45mg; Total Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 3g Carbohydrate Choices: 2

Festive Touch Garnish these lovely desserts with a few pomegranate seeds.

Kitchen Secrets To remove seeds from a vanilla bean, cut the bean in half lengthwise. Run the blade of a knife across the inside of the bean, gathering seeds on the edge of the knife.

Kitchen Secrets The vanilla bean seeds give a beautiful speckled appearance to the dessert and assure a rich vanilla flavor in the panna cotta. If you like, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract may be substituted for the vanilla bean—there’s no need to strain the milk mixture then.