Panna cotta
A silky, lightly wobbling cream dessert set with gelatin and flavored with vanilla, then topped with berry sauce or caramel. It is elegant yet takes only minutes of active work.
Panna Cotta with cream and garnish: hiro, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Panna cotta is a specialty of Piedmont in northern Italy, whose name means 'cooked cream'. It has become a staple of Italian restaurants worldwide.
Explore the cuisine of Italy.
Recipe
Make Panna cotta at home
Ingredients
- 1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp) unflavored gelatin
- 3 tbsp cold milk
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups berries
- 2 tbsp sugar for the sauce
How it's made
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold milk and let it soften 5 minutes.
- Heat cream, milk, sugar and vanilla until steaming, but do not boil.
- Whisk in the softened gelatin until completely dissolved.
- Strain into 6 ramekins or glasses.
- Chill at least 4 hours until set.
- Simmer berries with sugar for 5 minutes to make a sauce.
- Unmold by dipping briefly in warm water, or serve in the glasses with sauce.
Variations
- Coffee panna cotta.
- Buttermilk panna cotta with a tangy flavor.
- Honey and fig topping.
Cook’s tip: Use just enough gelatin for a gentle wobble; too much makes it rubbery.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Panna Cotta with cream and garnish: hiro, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)