Panna Cotta with Berry-Wine Sauce

I feel like I have to do this more and more lately, but I do apologize that my updates to this site have been so infrequent these past couple of months. I really do wish I had more time, but I think you’ll find that this recipe was worth waiting for!

This past weekend, to celebrate the finish of my second Culinary Foundations class, I decided to prepare something that is not covered as part of my school curriculum: panna cotta. This rich and delicious mixture of cream, sugar, and gelatin hails from Northern Italy, and is actually extremely simple to make. If you’ve never tried it, think of panna cotta as a kind of cream-based Jell-O, only a bit more firm. Served with a mixed berry and wine sauce, it’s a dessert you’ll be sure to never forget!

Mixed Berry Upside Down Cake

Having exhausted a large portion of my chocolate stores making the Hot Cocoa Cookies last weekend, I decided that the next dessert I bake ought to be something that doesn’t use any. I spent the better part of my day just figuring out what the hell I felt like making. I wanted something interesting, but simple and light as well. I had almost given up searching, nearly resigning myself to just making another cinnamon pull apart bread, when I came across a recipe for upside down cake. It was love at first sight.

Having never made (or even eaten) an upside down cake before, I really did not know what to expect going into this one. It came out with a texture somewhere between bread pudding and cake and, frankly, I’m not sure if that’s how it’s supposed to be. One thing I am sure of however, is that it tastes quite good.

Mixed Fruit Pie

Pie. Who doesn't love a good pie? Fruit, pumpkin, buttermilk, pecan - you name it, and if it's contained within a pie crust, I'll eat it. I decided it was time to take on the daunting task of creating a pie of my own, having never attempted to make one before now. After rummaging through the cabinets and the fridge, I decided on mixed fruit, since that's what I happened to have laying around. I made it work, and you can, too, so check out the recipe down below.