Panna Cotta with Figs

For the panna cotta:

Dissolve the gelatin in 3 tablespoons of cold water for about 10 minutes. Place the cream, vanilla bean, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the gelatin to the pan, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds, or until the gelatin is well blended with the cream. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the cream mixture into molds, cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set.

For the figs:

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful, we don’t want all the liquid to dry out. Let cool and serve on top of the chilled panna cotta.