Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream in to a medium sauce pan and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface & let bloom for 5 minutes.

Place the pot on the stove over med-low heat and cook, stirring until gelatin is just dissolved.

Add the rest of the heavy cream, juniper berries, salt, and sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar and cook, continuing to stir occasionally until it’s just about to boil and a few bubbles start to form on the sides.

Remove from heat, and whisk in the chocolate until completely melted and combined.

Cover and let it steep for 30 minutes. Let it go a bit longer for a stronger juniper flavor, but not too long or it might start to set up a bit too much to strain.

After steeping, strain into a 4 cup measure for easy pouring into your vessel of choice. Brush whatever you’ll be serving it out of very lightly with olive oil or a neutral oil.

Chill for at least three house and up to a day (if chilling a day cover with plastic wrap). If you wish to unmold them, briefly submerge them in hot water and carefully turn out onto a plate. Garnish with sea salt, a bit of shaved chocolate, and candied lemon.

This recipe yields about 24 ounces of panna cotta, so it would make 6 4 oz. panna cotta, but how you divide it up and into what it totally up to you. I love little copper molds. It’s so rich that a little goes a long way, and I like to serve it with some sort of crunchy cookie on the table. If you want to be really fancy, you could team it up with a glass of bubbly for the holiday season!