This is a very quick and easy treat to make for Valentine’s Day or any other time as well. We made a cherry sauce this time, but strawberry, raspberry or any other berry also make a lovely combination with the poppy seeds.

Poppy Seed Panna Cotta with Cherry Sauce (lighter version)

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the panna cotta:

  • 2 cups vanilla soy milk
  • 1/2 cup semolina flour
  • small pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons sweetener, (optional)
  • mint leaves as optional garnish

for the cherry sauce:

  • 1 jar pitted cherries in their juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons sweetener
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Poppy Seed Panna Cotta with Cherry Sauce

Directions:

to make the panna cotta:

  1. Grease 4 ramekins, heart forms or whichever forms you wish to present.
  2. Depending on the flavor of the soy milk, you may want to add a bit more sweetener and more vanilla.
  3. Add the semolina flour and a small pinch of salt to the cold soy milk in a saucepan and stir well to mix.
  4. Add any sweetener and vanilla per taste.
  5. Heat the soy milk mixture in a small saucepan.
  6. Add the poppy seeds.
  7. Heat to boil, stirring continuously.
  8. When the mixture thickens, pour it into the greased ramekins.
  9. Cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.

to make the cherry sauce:

  1. Drain the cherry juice from the cherries and pour the cherry juice into a saucepan.
  2. If the juice is sweetened, then mix1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and stir into the cherry juice to mix well.
  3. Add the cinnamon if using.
  4. Heat the cherry mixture, stirring as it thickens.
  5. Once the juice has thickened remove from the heat and allow to cool.

to serve:

  1. When ready to serve, unmould the ramekins onto shallow saucers or small bowls.
  2. Pour some cherry sauce around and add some cherries.
  3. Garnish with mint as an option.

Notes:

If you use the entire amount of poppy seeds as indicated in the recipe, the color of the panna cotta with be dark as on the 2nd photo. This is the popular poppy seed panna cotta found in Europe. If you want a whiter version, then use less and add the poppy seeds gradually until you have the color tone you want.