Panna Cotta alle Spezie

Raise your hand if...

Yours is always the last house on the cul de sac to put up holiday lights.

You are the last to buy, let alone decorate, a tree.

The only batch of Christmas cookies you baked is long gone and you have yet to bake more.

Me! Me. And me. Every year I find myself scoffing at those who have their lights up before Thanksgiving, or boast that they had all their holiday shopping done by the end of August. I mean, what is the rush? And then, just like that, it's mid-December and I'm the one who's being scoffed at.

That's when I pull out this recipe for spiced panna cotta (cooked cream). Because we all know that nothing, but nothing, is easier to make than panna cotta. Seriously, it takes no more effort to make this than it does to pull the lid off a Kozy Shack pudding. But it is sumptuous enough to serve as a holiday dessert.

Use your favorite spices to flavor the hot cream, and use good cream while you’re at it. Keep it simple with vanilla bean and lemon zest, or add more complex flavors such as star anise and peppercorns, as I've done here. Many recipes for panna cotta include a sauce of some sort as a garnish. You can serve this with a fresh berry sauce or pear compote if you like, but I like it plain, maybe garnished with a dusting of cinnamon.

PANNA COTTA ALLE SPEZIE {Spiced Panna Cotta}
Makes 4 servings (can easily be doubled to make 8 servings)

Ingredients
2 cups good heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
3 to 4 whole star anise
1 stick cinnamon
3 to 4 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns
2 strips lemon zest
1/2 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise
1/2 envelope (1/8 ounce) unflavored gelatin

Instructions
1. Combine the cream and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the star anise, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and lemon zest. Scrape in the vanilla beans and add the pod. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is almost at a simmer, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.

2. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Uncover the cream and bring it just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and use a skimmer to remove the spices and lemon peel. Gently whisk in the gelatin mixture until it is completely dissolved.

4. Pour the panna cotta into four (4-ounce) molds or ramekins and let cool slightly. Cover the molds tightly with plastic wrap and set them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

5. To unmold, dip the bases of the molds in hot water to loosen the panna cotta just a little. Unmold the panna cotta onto small dessert plates and garnish each serving with a dusting of cinnamon or a star anise.