Chocolate Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce (Paleo/ AIP Reintro)

I have always loved to cook. Growing up, my favorite book to check out of the library was this cookbook written specifically for young kids. I just remember how exciting it felt to flip through the pages searching for a new yummy recipe, go to the grocery store with my mom to buy all the ingredients, and come home and cook it up together with her. Baking on the other hand… now that’s a whole different story. I’ve always been intimidated by baking and creating desserts. That’s my sister’s (Sam) specialty. However, lately I’ve been wanting to bust out of my shell, and what better way to do that than conquer my fears of creating food allergy friendly desserts!

I decided to go with panna cotta, primarily because it doesn’t require any baking or special flours. Panna cotta is a creamy custard dessert that is set with gelatin and honestly could not be easier to make. It is also great to serve for a dinner party because it can be made ahead of time. So you can simply take it out of the fridge when it’s time to serve.

The end result is so creamy and delicious, I thought I died and went to heaven. This panna cotta seriously tastes like brownie batter and the raspberry sauce on top helps cut through the richness and gives it a little zing!

A quick note about this recipe: It is not AIP friendly because it calls for Enjoy Life chocolate chips, which contain cane sugar and chocolate, but may be appropriate if you have reintroduced chocolate and can have sugar in small amounts. This recipe is, however, paleo-friendly, since Enjoy Life chocolate chips are processed in a dedicated nut and gluten-free facility and on a dairy and soy-free line. Also, the only three ingredients are cane sugar, chocolate, and cocoa butter. This recipe also contains approximately 13 grams of sugar per serving and is meant to be enjoyed as a treat for special occasions.

Serves 6

Chocolate Panna Cotta Ingredients:

2 ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk

2 tsp gelatin powder

¼ tsp sea salt

6 oz Enjoy Life chocolate chips (AIP Reintro)

Raspberry Sauce Ingredients:

8 oz frozen raspberries

½ cup + 2 tsp water

2 tsp tapioca starch

¼ tsp vanilla (AIP Reintro)

Directions:

Pour ¼ cup of coconut milk into a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle gelatin powder on top of the coconut milk to allow it to dissolve, this takes approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the remaining 2 ½ cups of coconut milk into a sauce pan, add salt, and bring to medium heat until simmering. (The milk mixture should be barely bubbling). Once at a gentle simmer, carefully pour hot coconut milk into the mixing bowl with the gelatin mixture and whisk until fully combined. Add your chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second increments until fully melted. Next, add the melted chocolate to coconut milk mixture and gently whisk to combine. Then pour the coconut milk mixture into 6 individual ramekins, leaving room at the top for the raspberry sauce. Place in refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours.

While waiting for the panna cottas to set, make the raspberry sauce. Add the frozen raspberries to a sauce pan with ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix remaining 2 tsp of water with tapioca starch until fully combined. Once to a boil, whisk in tapioca mixture to raspberries. Add in vanilla and continue cooking the sauce until thickened, approximately 5 – 10 minutes. Store in refrigerator and add to the top of panna cottas when ready to serve.