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This is a fabulous dessert to make for the summer. First of all there isn’t that much cooking involved and it is super easy to make.

Full disclosure, I didn’t make this one. My sister in law brought it to the barbecue we were having. She was in charge of the dessert. I had shared the Thai theme with her and she told me she will try her best to come up with something suitable.

Well, this combination was great. She tweaked a Ina Garten recipe and came up with her own. She added coconut milk to yogurt and cream. I love the addition of yogurt, it makes the dessert very light and creamy. The coconut milk gives it the Thai flavor I was looking for. You can substitute low fat yogurt and light coconut milk if you want to reduce the calories- the taste will be the same.

To top the panna cotta, she made a delicious mango lime sauce. Mango is a perfect choice since it is season and abundantly available. She used canned pulp but fresh mango can be pureed and used as well. I would use 2 to 3 mangoes instead of the pulp. The sauce was a perfect complement to the coconut vanilla dessert. It wasn’t too sweet- just right. It was a delicious end to a wonderful meal.

Try the vanilla coconut panna cotta for dessert this long weekend…

• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup evaporated cane sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced length-wise and seeds taken out
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 (8 oz) ramekins

In a small bowl dissolve the gelatin in the cold water. Keep aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, coconut milk, vanilla extract and seeds from vanilla bean.
In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream and sugar on medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and add the gelatin mixture. Add the cream mixture into the cold yogurt mixture.
Pour into the ramekins and chill thoroughly- at least 6 hours if not over night. Dip bottoms of cups into hot water and invert into a serving plate. Serve with mango lime sauce.

Mango Lime Sauce

• ½ cup mango pulp
• 2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice
• Juice of ½ lime (1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 mint leaves

Combine mango pulp and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the mint leaves and heat over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes and turn the heat off. Add the vanilla extract and lime juice. Take the mint leaves once the sauce is cool. Serve with the panna cotta.