Vanilla Crème with Fresh Berry Jam

Prepare the jam and custard up to a day ahead, and refrigerate separately. Assemble the desserts before serving. The jam is also good with toast, pancakes, or pound cake.

Yield
6 servings

Ingredients

Jam:
* 1/3 cup water
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries, divided

Crème:
* 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 1 (6-inch) piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* 2 cups buttermilk
* Mint sprigs (optional)


Preparation
To prepare jam, combine 1/3 cup water and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Add 1 cup chopped strawberries, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until mixture is syrupy, mashing strawberries with a fork. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1 cup chopped strawberries. Pour into a bowl, and cool completely. Cover and chill.

To prepare crème, sprinkle gelatin over whole milk in a small saucepan; let stand for 10 minutes. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds and bean to milk mixture. Cook the milk mixture over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until gelatin dissolves, stirring constantly with a whisk. Increase heat to medium, and add 6 tablespoons sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in buttermilk. Remove and discard vanilla bean. Spoon about 1/2 cup buttermilk mixture into each of 6 small glasses. Cover and chill 6 hours or until set. Top each serving with 3 tablespoons berry jam. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 178 (23% from fat)
Fat: 4.6g (sat 2.6g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 5.5g
Carbohydrate: 30g
Fiber: 2.7g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Iron: 0.3mg
Sodium: 119mg
Calcium: 69mg

source by: myrecipes.com
recipes by: Cynthia Nicholson, Cooking Light