The Strawberry Tree Cookery: Panna Cotta and the tree that fell in my yard

So you would think after all the baking, cooking, shopping, etc that I have done over the last 4 weeks, the last thing I would want to do this week is cook, right? Fat chance. Today I made another batch of marshmallows and some sweet delicious panna cotta...mmmmm. Panna cotta is what I like to call "milk jello", and for someone who despises milk -me-I am obsessed with the stuff and with New Years' Eve just around the corner, which also happens to be my wedding anniversary AND my dogs' birthday, it had to be made.

Panna Cotta

4 cups half and half- you can also use all heavy cream, but come on, really? Do you need heavy cream right now? Do you possibly think you haven't had enough fat already this holiday season?
1 cup sugar - I like my milk jello SWEET
1/4 tsp salt
2 packets of gelatin
1/3 cup water
1 vanilla bean- this of course can be substituted using any flavor that strikes your fancy.

Pour the 4 cups of half and half into a saucepan, add in the sugar salt and vanilla bean. Heat until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and let the vanilla bean steam in the sweet, sweet milk mixture for about 30 minutes.

Milk mixture steeping

5 minutes before you are ready to strain the milk mixture- to get rid of the bean and all the nasties left by it- add the water to the 2 packets of gelatin and 'bloom'.

Add the gelatin to the milk mixture and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Strain into a 4 cup Pyrex and pour into your prepared little glasses. I like to use clear plastic bar glasses. First you spray with cooking spray and then when they are set, turn upside down and your fabulous little milk jello should pop right out.