Panna Cotta Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

What's Cooking America » Cooking Articles » Dessert Recipes » » Panna Cotta Recipes » Panna Cotta Recipe

  • Recipe
  • Comments
  • Print

Panna Cotta literally translates as “cooked cream” in Italian. It is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded.

Itis the perfect dessert, whether you are throwing a fancy party or a small one! These softly set and creamy Italian puddings are so silky-smooth they slip down beautifully at the end of a meal. Perfect served with fresh berries or fruits according to the season. This dessert is also perfect for dinner parties because they can be made a day or two in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to be served.

Print

Panna Cotta Recipe:

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:Italian

Keyword:Panna Cotta Recipe

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Author: What's Cooking America

Ingredients

Panna Cotta:

  • 2 1/2teaspoonsgelatin,unflavored*
  • 1/2cupmilk
  • 2 1/2cupsheavy cream**
  • 1/2cup granulatedsugar
  • 1vanilla bean,2-inches long and split lengthwise with a knife or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1cup freshberries,gently washed, drained, and sweetened to taste**
  • 6sprigs freshmintleaves

Topping Variation Ideas:

    • Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar:
    • 2(1-pint) basketsstrawberries,hulled and thinly sliced
    • 3tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar(good-quality)
    • 1tablespoon granulatedsugar
    • 1/2teaspoonblack pepper,freshly-ground
    • Cranberry-Orange Sauce:
    • 3/4cuporange juice,fresh-squeezed
    • 1/4cup fresh or unthawed frozencranberries
    • 1 1/2tablespoons granulatedsugaar
    • Blueberry Sauce:
    • 1cupwater
    • 1cup granulatedsugar
    • 2 1/2cups freshblueberries
    • 1tablespoonpure vanilla extract
    • 1teaspoonbalsamic vinegar (good-quality)

    Instructions

    Panna Cotta Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup milk; let stand until the gelatin is softened, about 5 minutes.

    2. In a large saucepan, combine heavy cream and sugar. Add vanilla extract or vanilla bean (your choice). If using a vanilla bean, slice the bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds into cream (add whole bean to cream for additional flavor).Bring cream just to a simmer (do not let it boil), whisking occasionally until sugar has completely dissolved; remove from heat and remove vanilla beanpod.

    3. Add the softened gelatin mixture and whisk to completely dissolve the gelatin.

    4. Strain hot cream mixture into a large glass measuring cup with a pouring spout; pour into ramekins or custard cups. NOTE: Do not skip the straining step as it removes any bits of undissolved gelatin and insures a nice smooth dessert. Also, do not let the cream mixture cool before straining.If using a vanilla bean, lightly swirl the cream to distribute the seeds evenly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

    5. Divided the panna cotta mixture among 4 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups. Cover and chill 24 hours. Can be made two days ahead. Keep chilled.

    6. To unmold and serve, carefully dip bottom of each ramekin in a baking pan of hot water briefly. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin to loosen it from the inside of the bowl. Wipe the outside of the mold dry and place on individual chilled serving plate (topside down). Invert the custard onto the plate and carefully lift off ramekin(shake gently to release).

    7. Garnish with berries or fruit of your choice. See Topping Variations below.

    8. Makes 4 to 6 servings (depending on size of the custard cups).

    Topping Variation Idea Instructions:

    1. Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar Instructions:

    2. Toss strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and pepper in a large bowl to combine. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Spoon strawberries over and around the panna cotta and serve.

    3. Cranberry-Orange Sauce Instructions:

    4. In a small saucepan simmer orange juice, fresh or frozen cranberries, and sugar, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are softened, about 7 minutes. In a blender, puree mixture until smooth(use caution when blending hot liquids). Pour sauce through a sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids. Cool sauce. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Spoon Cranberry-Orange Sauce over and around the panna cotta and serve.

    5. Blueberry Sauce Instructions:

    6. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water and sugar. Stir and cook until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a slow boil; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar.

    7. In a food processor or blender, add blueberries and process until a chunky puree. Add blueberries puree into the hot syrup. Cover and refrigerator until ready to serve. When ready to serve, spoon Cranberry-Orange Sauce over and around the panna cotta and serve.

    Recipe Notes

    * It is always best to measure the the amount of gelatin needed as the envelopes of gelatin can vary. When a recipe calls for an envelope of gelatin, it is expecting a quarter of an ounce which is precisely 2 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin.

    **Half and half, buttermilk, whole milk, and/or sour cream may be substituted for part of the cream. To reduce the fat in your Panna Cotta recipe, substitue 2 (6-ounce) containers low-fat or non-fat flavored yogurt. I like to use the yogurts with the fruit on the bottom of the container.

    *** Any assortment of fresh, seasonal fruit may be served with panna cotta, but berries are especially nice. To use other ripe, soft fruits, such as cherries, peaches or apricots, just remove the stones and peels as necessary and cut them into thin slices or bite-size pieces.

    Related Recipes

    Categories:

    Blackberries Dessert Recipes Italian Recipes Panna Cotta Recipes

    Comments and Reviews

    Leave a Reply






    Panna Cotta Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2)

    Sign Up for our Newsletter

    Panna Cotta Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

    FAQs

    Panna Cotta Recipe, Whats Cooking America? ›

    Goreng and Baharat's plan to deliver a message, through the untouched panna cotta, is to communicate the fact that the tyrannical structure has not broken the human spirit.

    What is the message of the panna cotta? ›

    Goreng and Baharat's plan to deliver a message, through the untouched panna cotta, is to communicate the fact that the tyrannical structure has not broken the human spirit.

    Why is my panna cotta not setting? ›

    Not Setting Properly: If your panna cotta doesn't set properly and remains too runny, it may be due to not using enough gelatin or not allowing it enough time to set. To fix this, you can try adding a bit more gelatin to the mixture or giving it more time to chill and set in the refrigerator.

    How do you keep panna cotta from splitting? ›

    Cooling and whisking the base before dividing it into portions will keep the panna cotta from separating into layers of milk and cream.

    Is panna cotta good or bad for you? ›

    Panna cotta can always be the right dessert — whether you're throwing a fancy party or a small one, have lots of time or no time, are gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-prone, vegan, or simply craving a delicious and creamy sweet. It's perfect.

    Why is my panna cotta rubbery? ›

    Gelatine based desserts are best eaten soon after they're cooked. Panna cotta will begin to develop a rubbery texture after about four days. Once you're confident, experiment with different flavours – vanilla is traditional but think about adding a splash of coffee, honey, almond or citrus to give it a twist!

    What is a fun fact about panna cotta? ›

    Did you know that…? Panna cotta is probably the only dessert which can be made without eggs, flour, sugar and baking.

    What does panna cotta mean in Italian? ›

    Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

    Why is panna cotta so good? ›

    The dairy and sugar are heated just until they are warm enough to dissolve the sugar and gelatin, then poured into individual ramekins or custard cups and chilled until set. Its ingredients are very simple, making panna cotta famous for its silky texture and lightly sweet, milky flavor.

    How do you keep vanilla seeds from sinking in panna cotta? ›

    Method
    1. Place a pan over a medium heat. ...
    2. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the soaked gelatine. ...
    3. Pass the mixture through a sieve and leave to cool - if you are able to cool over a bowl of crushed ice, this will help to keep the vanilla seeds from sinking to the bottom.

    What happens if you put too much gelatin in panna cotta? ›

    A perfect panna cotta only has JUST ENOUGH gelatin to hold the cream mixture together. This means that the texture is really jiggly. Too much gelatin and the panna cotta has more of a jello-like consistency. Too little gelatin and the panna cotta won't set properly and you got a recipe for disaster in your hands.

    Why is my panna cotta gritty? ›

    Underhydrated gelatin will be stubbornly gritty, never dissolving, and negatively impact the final set. As with all gelatin desserts, this will become firmer the longer it sits, so eat your panna cotta within 24 hours for the most delicate, elegant texture.

    Why does my panna cotta have two layers? ›

    If you find that your panna cotta separates into two layers, one that's creamy and one that's more gelatin-like — there can be two reasons. First, either your gelatin didn't bloom and dissolve properly when stirred into the cream. Second, the cream mixture boiled after the gelatin was added.

    Does panna cotta jiggle? ›

    The ultimate panna cotta should have the perfect wobble — this is an indication of the texture, which should be silky, creamy, melt in the mouth but not too bouncy or rubbery. I'd rather a panna cotta that is more wobbly than too set, personally.

    Is panna cotta supposed to jiggle? ›

    The jiggle:

    The reason for the gelatin is obvious — a perfect panna cotta should have just enough that it seems the cream is barely holding together. It quivers when you touch it.

    What's the difference between creme brulee and panna cotta? ›

    Panna cotta is a gelatinized cream, much like an aspic. Creme brulee is a custard made with eggs. Both are thickened sweet cream, one is cooked on top of the stove and the other is baked in the oven; one is thickened in the refrigerator with gelatin while the other is thickened in the oven by the eggs.

    Does panna cotta contain raw egg? ›

    Panna Cotta is one of the most famous Italian spoon desserts and definitely the one that everyone forever loves! It's a dessert of Piedmontese origin, reminiscent of the pudding thanks to its gelatinous consistency, but it doesn't contain eggs.

    What is panna cotta English? ›

    Panna cotta is a traditional Italian dessert which literally translates as 'cooked cream'. Hailing from the region of Piedmont in Italy, it is a simple mixture of sweetened cream and gelatine. A good panna cotta is one that is only just set but can still stand unsupported once out of the mould.

    What makes panna cotta split? ›

    If you find that your panna cotta separates into two layers, one that's creamy and one that's more gelatin-like — there can be two reasons. First, either your gelatin didn't bloom and dissolve properly when stirred into the cream. Second, the cream mixture boiled after the gelatin was added.

    References

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Eusebia Nader

    Last Updated:

    Views: 6385

    Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

    Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Eusebia Nader

    Birthday: 1994-11-11

    Address: Apt. 721 977 Ebert Meadows, Jereville, GA 73618-6603

    Phone: +2316203969400

    Job: International Farming Consultant

    Hobby: Reading, Photography, Shooting, Singing, Magic, Kayaking, Mushroom hunting

    Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.