Rich and creamy panna cotta is layered with grenadine syrup and citrusy blue curaçao for a sparkling red, white, and blue dessert. Serve these Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters for Memorial Day or July Fourth holidays.
This year has been a blur. A dream. I blinked and found myself here: third day of summer, nearly July. Did I really write a book? I must have. Did I really go to New York and get chatty about it with strangers? Signs point to yes. And there’s yet another great thing happening for the book – which I will reveal very soon. Right now life seems very surreal and it’s moving so quickly!
It’ll happen again. I’ll blink and we’ll be lighting sparklers and watching a night sky filled with fireworks. With that in mind, getting a jump-start on July 4th treats seems like a good idea!
These little dessert shooters are part panna cotta, part fruity cocktail. The bottom layer is a sweet red grenadine syrup. The next layer is a tropical-tasting coconut panna cotta and then a little blue curaçao (orange liqueur) gets poured on top. And my favorite part? You guessed it. Those little edible confetti stars. You can usually find them where Wilton products are sold, but here’s a link if you’re looking to purchase online.
I just love these for Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters for July Fourth. They are a low lift dessert with major payoff! If you’re serving these to kids, blue Kool-Aid can be used as a substitute for boozy blue curaçao. They are cold and refreshing on a hot July day, and throughout the summer months when temperatures soar.
Here’s another favorite in red, white, and blue for those celebrating with sweets!
Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters
Equipment
- 3 oz. shot glasses, 6
Ingredients
- 6 oz. grenadine syrup
- 1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin
- 1 tbsp. cold water
- 1 cup lite coconut milk
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. coconut extract
- 3 oz. blue curaçao
- Wilton gold star edible glitter or other star-shaped sprinkles
Instructions
- Pour 1 oz. of grenadine into six 3 oz. clear glasses. Freeze grenadine solid, and keep glasses stored in freezer until panna cotta portion is ready.
- In a small condiment cup, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water and let stand until absorbed. Set aside.
- Combine the coconut milk, half and half and sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until just boiling.
- Microwave the gelatin mixture for 7-10 seconds, until melted and liquid. Remove the milk mixture from heat source and whisk in melted gelatin. Add coconut extract. Allow mixture to cool significantly.
- Remove glasses of frozen grenadine from freezer and very slowly pour in 2 oz. of cooled coconut panna cotta into each glass. A little red from the grenadine may bleed into the white panna cotta, but as it stands the red should settle back down to the bottom. Refrigerate glasses until panna cotta is set and grenadine layer has completely thawed. Just before serving pour over 1/2 oz. blue curaçao and sprinkle with edible star glitter.
I love these! So beautiful.
Those little star sprinkles are the cutest!!
I've never had panna cotta… I kinda think I would love it!
This makes me happy! I still haven't tried panna cotta. What is wrong with me?! I need to get on this train asap!
Edible stars, where have you been my whole life? 🙂
Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous 🙂
OK the stars are adorable, and i LOVE how everything is so crisp and clean!
These are so fun and so perfectly beautiful! Love them!
These are beyond beautiful. LOVE the contrast!!
So pretty! A wonderful 4th of July dessert.
Cheers,
Rosa
So cute and festive!!
Stunning! These look so fun and festive!
I love that you topped these off with patriotic stars! So fun!
Come check out a fun giveaway I'm having.
http://www.becauseofmadalene.com/2012/06/perfect-giveaway.html
Christina
These are so fun!
These are adorable!!!
I'm ready for the Holiday after looking at these!
Another completely adorable post – those tiny stars are the perfect finishing touch!
These are stunning! Love those little stars.
I adore the sprinkles! These are perfect Heather.
Love these! I can't wait to bring them to our annual 4th of July get together!!!
Beautiful – and so patriotic!
These are the coolest things I've ever seen! Definitely the most sophisticated "shooters" ever. Can't believe it's nearly July 4th!
What a great idea! THANK YOU for not doing jello! Can't wait to hear the upcoming news! Good things happen to good people 😉
Wish I'd seen this before the Jubilee – LOVE the red, white and blue … not sure what I'd exchange for the pretty stars though for UK!
I can't get over those adorable stars. I have to get some. I'm a sucker for fourth of july desserts and panna cotta, these would be for me. I have to go see Marla about your book. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
-Gina-
Wow, these are absolutely beautiful! Maybe literally too pretty to eat haha. This is such a creative and festive idea!
These are so pretty! I can't wait to make these for the 4th.
ADORABLE!! These look seriously wonderful!
The shiny stars are amaziing! You always know how to make everything special:)
so cute and festive!
This looks delicious and your pictures are amazing. Would love for you to share your photos with us at foodepix.com.
Yes, time flies just that fast…in a blink of an eye.
Congratulations to you with all the great things happening to you.
Velva
oh my gosh those are so cute!!!!!! perfect for the 4th! love it
I LOVE everything about this dessert, including your photos, which are just stunning!!
LOved it…loved the snaps too…..
This is so beautiful, loooks really perfect. And I love Panna Cotta!!
These are perfection. Love it. I want one right now.
WOW! These are so vibrant and beautiful! I love how festive they are and my whole family would just eat them right up!
How festive. I love the blue curacao on top.
This looks incredible! I just got your book in the mail as an early birthday gift and spent the last two nights cuddled up with it – truly amazing. I can't wait to see what you've got coming next!
So perfect for the 4th! And fabulous photography, too!
I agree about this year! Wasn't it just New Year's Day??
These are beautiful and so perfectly patriotic! I'm not a big fan of Blue Curucao, but when it comes to getting that vibrant blue color, it's the best!
looks good. i'm more curious as to how they would taste? anybody else try to make these yet? would really like to know if it taste as good as it looks…
Wondrous little cups of celebration! Adore the sparkly stars on the shiny blue background. A smashing idea for our nations holiday!
I see your posts and think, Oh, GAWSH she's amazing!
What beautiful and exquisite creations for the 4th!!! xo ~Lili
I am trying to make these right now, and the grenadine is NOT FREEZING! It's been in the freezer since this morning! Can anyone help me? Heather?
Oh no! Okay. If the grenadine won't freeze, then you can try pouring the panna cotta into the glasses – very slowly – over the back of a spoon. You can expect the panna cotta to mix a little with the grenadine, but it should settle into layers. Bartenders call this technique "floating" and you can read more about it here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Float_(bartending_technique) And here's someone who made an shot similar but with bailey's irish cream instead of panna cotta http://www.savoryreviews.com/2010/06/30/red-white-and-blue-shooter/ It might be good if you could wait until morning to see if the grenadine freezer. Sorry you're having a… Read more »
*freezes, I mean.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I just made 24 of these for a family picnic tomorrow. I also had issues with my grenadine freezing but your spoon trick worked like a charm. I can't wait to present these tomorrow at the picnic!
Oh so elegant!! Can't wait to set this out on my 4th of July party!
If you make these a day ahead, do you still need to wait to top with blue curacao? Can it freeze as well, and then just add stars later?
Also, do you serve this with a spoon or a straw?