• Cooking Time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 4-6
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• 6 oz. Mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons ground espresso (I actually used Starbucks' Pike Place Roast)
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• caramelized walnuts, for decoration
• 6 small molds or ramekins that can hold about 1/2 cup each
• Non-stick parchment paper used for baking

1. In a medium sized saucepan add the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, ground espresso, sugar, and vanilla.
3. Put the saucepan over a low heat and stir the mixture occasionally until it thickens but don't let it come to a boil. You'll know it's ready when the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
5. Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside to let the mixture rest and cool for 20 minutes.
7. In a small saucepan add the milk and gelatin. Set the saucepan over a low heat and stir the milk until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
9. Stir the milk mixture into the base mascarpone mixture until well incorporated.
11. Pour the mascarpone mixture through a strainer into a large measure cup or bowl that has a lip.
13. Pour the mixture into lightly oiled molds or ramekins then set aside to cool before refrigerating until set. I put them in the refrigerator for 6 hours but some people put them in overnight.
15. To serve, loosen the panna cotta from the ramekins or molds and flip over onto dessert plates. I just ran a sharp paring knife lightly around the circumference of each ramekins and it did the trick nicely.
17. To caramelize the walnuts, add 1/2 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water into a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then let boil until sugar turns a golden brown. Please be careful though, as boiling sugar is extremely dangerous. I'm not ashamed to admit I wore eye protection.
19. Anyways, once the sugar has caramelized add the walnuts to coat. Remove walnuts carefully with a fork and lay them on a piece of parchment paper to cool.
21. Before serving coffee panna cotta add caramelized walnuts to the top of each serving, to decorate.

The recipe comes from a book called, "Weekend with Friends" by Maxine Clark. I was looking for a rich, sophisticated dessert for Mother's Day that I knew my mum would like. My whole family likes coffee so Coffee Panna Cotta seemed like a perfect choice.