This Panna Cotta Is a Blueberry Trifecta

This season of Pastries with Paola has featured all kinds of fruity desserts, from strawberry ekmek kataifi to hummingbird cream puffs packed with a banana whipped cream and candied pineapple filling. In this week's episode, blueberries take center stage three-fold because Paola's making blueberry panna cotta with blueberry chia pudding, which she tops with even more fresh blueberries. The vibrant dessert is perfect for summer, not only because blueberries are in season but also because it's no-bake, so you don't have to fire up your oven.

Read on for Paola's step-by-step method so you can make it at home, and follow along with the video above.

Start on the Panna Cottas

The first thing you'll want to do is bloom—or rehydrate—your powdered gelatin in some of the cold heavy cream so it dissolves more easily. Meanwhile, get your blueberries, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook them down over low heat, giving the mixture an occasional stir and lightly smashing the berries. Ultimately, you want the berries to become wrinkly and the sauce to be deep in color, which should take about 20 minutes.

Next, turn off your burner and stir in the remaining cold heavy cream. Once it's in, turn the heat back to medium-low and bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring to avoid scorching the cream. Then, turn the heat off once more and stir in the gelatin-cream mixture until the gelatin has completely dissolved.

Pour and Chill

Take the panna cotta mixture and give it a stir to break up any film that may have formed on top. Divide it evenly between your dessert bowls (clear glass is preferable), cover each bowl, and get them in the fridge for at least eight hours—or overnight, if you're feeling extra-patient.

Make the Pudding

While the panna cottas set, whip up your blueberry chia pudding, which calls for more blueberries, some water, sugar, salt, chia seeds, and a little bit of lemon juice. To start, add the berries, water, and sugar to a medium saucepan and cook the mixture over low heat. Once the blueberries start to burst and come to a boil (about 15 minutes), add in your salt (this enhances their flavor), stir it in, and then turn off the heat.

Next, incorporate your lemon juice and chia seeds, give everything a stir, and pour the pudding into a medium bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pudding, stirring occasionally during the first 30 minutes, for at least two hours or overnight until it thickens.

Serve

Once the panna cottas have set and the chia pudding has thickened, you can build your beautiful blueberry desserts. Take the pudding and add a generous scoop to the top of each panna cotta, crowning them with fresh blueberries for the finishing touch. If you'd like, you can also take lemon wedges and squeeze the juice over the top for extra brightness. Either way, you'll have a lovely seasonal treat you'll want to make all summer long.

Stay tuned for next week's episode of Pastries with Paola featuring baba au rhum punch.