Panna Cotta with Mango Purée

After a visit to my favorite Thai restaurant where I enjoyed their panna cotta with mango purée, I decided to recreate the dessert at home. Light, creamy, and slightly sweet you could serve this panna cotta with many toppings besides a fruit purée- fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel, mint, syrups, etc. If you don't have ceramic ramekins don't despair. I made this batch, pictured below, with small juice glasses. Granted, I'm sure the ramekins are easier to use and probably release the panna cotta more easily before serving, but a bowl of hot water and some shaking encouragement also does the trick.

Panna Cotta with Mango Purée

-Panna Cotta
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

-In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over the few tablespoons of water and let it sit for ~10 minutes.
-In a medium bowl combine 1 cup of the whipping cream with the yogurt and vanilla
-Heat remaining cream and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar until the cream just begins to simmer. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the gelatin mixture and stir until it dissolves. Mix hot cream-gelatin mixture into yogurt mixture in bowl. Divide mixture among six 3/4-cup ramekins, using about 1/2 cup for each. Refrigerate desserts uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
-To serve invert ramekin onto a plate to release the panna cotta. If the panna cotta does not release easily, briefly soak the ramekin in hot water and try again.

-Mango Purée
2 small mangoes (I used Manila mangoes)
granulated sugar (to taste)
water
~1 tablespoon lemon juice

-Peel and cube the mango. Blend only adding enough water to allow a smooth purée to form.
-Add lemon juice and sugar to taste, depending on the sweetness of the mangoes.