Chocolate Panna Cotta with Agar Agar

Blogging Marathon: Week 3/ Day 8
Theme: Seasonal Dishes - Winter Dessert
Dish: Chocolate Panna Cotta without Gelatin (with Agar Agar)
This is a rich chocolaty dessert that is perfect for a holiday party. I was always under the impression that Panna Cotta is a fancy and very "gourmet" dessert. But come to find out it is quite simple to make and what better time than the holidays to serve this sinfully rich dish. With a house full of chocolate lovers, my obvious choice was to make chocolate panna cotta. I used agar agar powder  instead of gelatin to make a completely vegetarian dish. Agar Agar or China grass needs be dissolved in hot liquids in order for it to gel or set.
Ingredients: Heavy Cream - 1¼cups
Milk - 1¼cups (I used 2% milk, whole milk will work, don not use 1% or skim here)
Agar Agar powder (China grass) - ½tsp
Sugar - 1/3 cup (increase or reduce as per taste)
Semisweet Chocolate - 3oz., finely chopped
Vanilla extract - 1tsp
Method:

• Keep 6-½cup molds/ ramekins/ bowls ready. 
• Combine heavy cream, milk and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan; bring the mixture to a boil. 
• Lower the heat and add the agar powder. Whisk vigorously until it completely dissolves; simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and then stir in chopped chocolate. Whisk well to melt the chocolate.
• Next add the vanilla and mix again.
• Pour the mixture into the selected molds/ bowls. Cool a little bit, then refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.
• When ready to serve, dip the mold in hot water and run a sharp paring knife around the edges and then invert onto the serving plate.

Serve with strawberry sauce (recipe follows) and/or whipping cream and/or vanilla ice cream and some grated chocolate. Strawberry Sauce:
This sauce is very simple to make and can be used on ice creams, pancakes and just about anything that needs some sweet, fruity goodness.
Ingredients:
Strawberries - 1 pint, hulled and roughly chopped
Sugar - 3tbsp (adjust according to the sweetness of the strawberries)
Strawberry Jam - 2tbsp
Method:

• Combine the berries, sugar and ¼ cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, about 6-8 minutes.
• Add the jam and then cook for another 3 minutes. If you want a smoother sauce, blend the mixture. I left the berries whole this time.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use as needed. Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked up for BM# 27.