Mini Panna Cotta Tarts with Lingonberries and Chocolate

One of my favorite desserts is Panna Cotta.  Panna Cotta is an Italian classic dessert and translated, it means "cooked cream."  However,  I make it with heavy cream and ricotta cheese which gives it the ultimate silky smooth texture like no other Panna Cotta you have ever had!

Before blogging began, my friend Olivia gave me her recipe years ago.  Since then, I really enjoy making this Panna Cotta and adding different flavors to the dessert including various toppings, fruit fillings and even chocolate!

Panna cotta is a white pudding-like dessert, with a smooth texture flavored with some vanilla.  It is very easy and so simple, you will be amazed how fast you can whip this up.  Because it's egg-less, and not cooked like a custard, it can be made shortly before your guests arrive.

So I needed to make a quick dessert for my guests one evening and decided to make these mini tarts, or pies ( I guess you could call these "mini pies" too). I used Keebler already graham cracker shells, filling them with panna cotta cream mixture, lingonberries jam and then topped each with dark chocolate.

Everyone loved them so much, (and I only made 14) they were all fighting across the table to grab a second one before they all disappeared.... which they did in seconds. 

 Enjoy!

Mini Panna Cotta Tarts with Lingonberries and Chocolate

• 1 jar Lingonberries Jam
• 2 packages Mini Keebler Ready Graham Crusts
• 1 (15 ounce) ricotta cheese
• 1 + 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 package clear gelatin
• 1/2 cup Ghirardelli premium baking chips, bittersweet chocolate
• 3 Tbsp. butter- melted
• fresh raspberries

In a small sauce pan,  pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream and sprinkle one package of gelatin on top.
Allow to sit for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn on heat to medium- low.  Heat the gelatin for about 1 minute. Stir in sugar, 1 cup of heavy cream, and vanilla. Heat and stir until sugar completely dissolves and bubbles begin to form around the pan.  Do not bring to full boil.

Using an electric blender, add ricotta cheese along with the hot cream mixture. Blend on the HIGHEST SPEED for 5 minutes.  This is the key to giving Panna Cotta its silky smooth texture.

In the meantime, open packages (6 per package) of Keebler graham cracker shells. Add about a teaspoon of lingonberries jam on the bottom of each cup. Gently spread jam on bottom of each crust.

Gently pour the warm cream mixture into each crust.  Fill to the top. You will have extra cream mixture to fill any two dessert cups you may have.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips with butter.  Using a spoon and gently pour melted chocolate on top of each tart. Refrigerate again for 1 more hour.

Garnish with fresh raspberries on top,  and some powdered sugar just before serving.

Serves 14 Mini Tarts, plus 2 extra dessert servings