Two new favorites

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I have to report on two fabulous desserts we had this week.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta
We had panna cotta on our fabulous Mexico trip and ever since, I've been a bit obsessed; something about the subtlety of flavor, the creaminess of the texture, the lightness of the whole experience. This is my first attempt to make it at home. After looking at Lindsey's recipe, instructions and gorgeous pictures, (seriously click over just to look at the pictures) I knew it was time to give it a whirl. It did not disappoint. The tangy flavor and creaminess reminded me of plain frozen yogurt. It's a easy and fabulous recipe.

Berry Camping Cake
On our camping trip this weekend, I tried out this recipe from Sunset magazine. You know those dutch oven cobblers that involve cake mix and some kind of soda and taste good only because you are far away from civilization but wouldn't hold up under any normal taste standards? I did not want to make one of those. For this cake you mix together dry ingredients, cut in butter (easily done in a food processor) and then pack the mix in a freezer bag to take camping. The assembly is easy peasy: pour frozen strawberries in the bottom of the dutch oven, top with half the dry mix, cook for 20 min., top with the other half, cook 20 minutes more. I was skeptical that it would cook up ok without any liquid added, but the whole thing turned out beautifully. If you like to dutch oven, you've got to try it.