Panna Cotta Pie with Lingonberries and Chocolate Ganache

A few days ago, I posted my Mini Panna Cotta Tarts, and I actually made my Panna Cotta Pie with Lingonberries and Chocolate Ganache a week ago, but didn't get to finish it in time to post. So here it is!

This pie version is to die for too!  It's a creamy and silky panna cotta with just the right amount of tartness and sweetness from the lingonberries ( which I love) as well as a touch of dark chocolate ganache on top.  It's so good.. its unbelievable!  Everyone really enjoyed the pie version as much as they did the mini tarts.

I'd like to tell you, that another one of my passions in life, is art.  I take an art class once a week and I find it to be very relaxing.  There is a nice camaraderie among the group.  I made new friends, and I even brought some of my old friends into the class.  In fact, some of my best taste-testers are from this class, because I bring something each week for them to try.  When the class is over, a few of us girls rotate hosting our homes each week to continue working on our paintings. We all have a good time, and its very satisfying when you finally finish a piece of artwork.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as well as my mini panna cotta tarts!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  And a Happy Easter and Passover too!

 Panna Cotta Pie with Lingonberries and Chocolate Ganache

• 1 jar Lingonberries Jam
• 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

Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup walnuts -chopped
• 1 stick unsalted better - melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine cracker crumbs, sugar, walnuts and melted butter. Transfer to one 9 inch spring form pan or two 7 inch spring form pans (which is photographed above). Use a cup to help press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove, allow to cool and set aside.

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

Using an electric blender, add ricotta cheese and blend on low speed. Slowly pour in the hot cream mixture. Blend on the HIGHEST SPEED for 5 minutes. This is the key to giving Panna Cotta its silky smooth texture.

Using a teaspoon, gently add and spread some lingonberries jam on the bottom of the crust, about 5 ounces or half of the jar.

Gently pour the warm cream mixture into the pie crust.
Refrigerate for 4 hours, or over night is best.

Using a double boiler, melt chocolate chips with butter. Stir in about 1/2 tablespoon of heavy cream. This will give the chocolate an easier texture to work with.  Remove from heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Gently pour the chocolate ganache over chilled Panna Cotta pie, refrigerate again for one hour more before serving.


Here's a Tip:  If you are short for time, and need to chill this panna cotta pie quickly, carefully place your pie into the freezer for one and a half hours.  Remove,  then add chocolate ganache on top. Return pie to your refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!


Serves 8 to 10

These are some of my art class friends and my taste-testers!  Thanks girls!

Baked Flounder Fillet Oreganata - Lightened!

Flounder fillet is a white fish, that has a soft, flaky moist texture that melts in your mouth with every bite, when its baked in a bath of wine and lemon juices.  Flounder Fillet Oreganata is our moms recipe which we lightened up to reduce some of the fat and calories.

Growing up, seafood was always on the menu for Friday dinners during Lent and especially on Good Friday. As a small child, I remember standing by the front door while Mom would go out and pick fresh fish from the back of a red pick-up truck which was filled with crushed ice. 

It was always on a Friday the fishmonger would drive by the neighborhood to sell seafood to everyone on the block.  Nowadays,  food sales are more regulated so we drive to a local seafood market to buy our seafood.  Somethings have changed, but one thing sure hasn't -  that we love seafood and its usually served on Fridays during Lent in our home.   Have a good day everyone! :)

Baked Flounder Fillet Oreganata -Lightened!

• 1 pound fresh flounder fillets (about 2 large fillets)
• 1 garlic clove- minced
• 1 lemon -juiced
• 3 Tbsp. plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. grated parmigiana cheese
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• vegetable cooking spray oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a baking dish, spray generously with cooking spray.

Lay the flounder fillets into the dish.

Scatter all the dry seasonings, bread crumbs, grated cheese and minced garlic on top of each flounder. Add some sea salt and black pepper on top.

Drizzle each flounder with extra virgin olive oil.
Gently pour white wine and 1/2 of a lemon juiced around the fish, not directly on top. 

Save the other half of lemon juice for later, just before serving.
Lower the oven to 375 degrees, and bake uncovered for 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove from oven. Pour the other half of lemon juice on top of the fillets.  Allow the juices to absorb into the fish, and cool down for 2 minutes.  Serve.

Serves 2 to 4

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