The panna cotta is a creamy and silky spoon dessert that is very simple to prepare. To make it, bring the cream to a boil with the sugar and vanilla, let it rest for 10 minutes and add the gelatin which will make it thick enough.
Easy, quick and indulgent, it can be made in many variations; today I share the classic recipe but on the blog you can find the coffee panna cotta, strawberry panna cotta, pistachio panna cotta and caramel panna cotta; as you can see you can personalize it as you like by varying the amount of setting agent according to the final weight.
The classic panna cotta is usually enhanced with a berry or chocolate sauce or jams; I made a raspberry coulis for you and added fresh berries.
The quality of ingredients is essential: panna cotta is a soft, velvety pudding made of cream, sugar, vanilla and food-grade gelatin; to obtain the right texture do not overdo the gelatin otherwise you’ll end up with a compact dessert that is not pleasant to the palate. Originally it was set using egg whites, it did not involve the use of gelling agents which were introduced only recently; soon I will also make the egg white version, the one my grandmother always used to make.
Try also the other spoon desserts:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 2 Minutes
- Portions: 5Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 325.29 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.85 (g) of which sugars 19.82 (g)
- Proteins 2.38 (g)
- Fat 25.83 (g) of which saturated 0.01 (g)of which unsaturated 0.10 (g)
- Fibers 1.38 (g)
- Sodium 0.59 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream (for whipping)
- 6 tbsp + 1 tsp tbsp granulated sugar
- Half vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 3 sheets gelatin sheets (3 sheets (240 bloom each); I used Paneangeli)
- 1 cup raspberries (fresh)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp + 1 tsp tbsp powdered sugar (if you prefer you can reduce the sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
- to taste mixed berries (fresh)
- mint (fresh for decoration)
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Small saucepan
- 5 Molds for crème caramel
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Sieve fine-mesh
Method
Soften the food-grade gelatin by placing it in a small bowl with a little cold water and let it rest for 10–15 minutes (the correct amount of water is 5 times the gelatin weight so in this case you would need 35 g of cold water; this step is much easier with powdered gelatin, which I find very convenient).
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan pour in the cream, the sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean, place it over low heat and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, then add the well-drained gelatin and stir until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve, wet the molds with cold water and invert them (this step prevents the panna cotta from sticking to the mold) and fill the molds with the cream. Place them in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours.
The panna cotta is ready.
Gently wash the raspberries and pat them dry with paper towels.
Place the raspberries in a small saucepan and cook them for 2–3 minutes.Off the heat add the lemon and the powdered sugar, mix well and return to the heat. Cook the sauce for 2–3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Strain the coulis through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.
The raspberry coulis is ready to use.
When you want to unmold the panna cotta, dip each mold in boiling water for 10 seconds and run a sharp knife along the edge; at this point you can invert it onto dessert plates, garnish with a spoonful of raspberry coulis and well-washed, dried fresh berries.
The panna cotta is ready to serve.
Tips
The panna cotta keeps well for 3 days in the refrigerator and for up to one month in the freezer.
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