Receta Panna cotta
It may come as a surprise that this famous, elegant dessert from the Piemonte region of Italy is so very easy to make. Panna cotta, or “cooked cream”, is nothing but warmed (not actually cooked) cream sweetened with sugar and infused with vanilla, then thickened with gelatin and chilled. Traditionally served unmolded, you can make your panna cotta even easier by serving it directly from the serving bowls in which it has chilled, topped if you like with mixed berries, caramel or melted chocolate—or whatever other sweet condiment that strikes your fancy.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
500ml (2 cups) heavy cream, or a mix of cream and milk (see Notes)
100g (1/2 cup) sugar
1 vanilla bean, opened, or a few drops of vanilla extract
1 small envelope of powdered gelatin, or 2 sheets of sheet gelatin
Optional sauces and toppings:
Fresh berries, plain or macerated with lemon juice and sugar
Caramel sauce
Melted chocolate
Directions
Heat the cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan until it is just about the come to a boil, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. While the cream is heating up, soften the gelatin in enough tepid water just to cover. When the cream is just about to boil, remove it from the heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir to dissolve the gelatin completely. Remove the vanilla bean if using.
Let the cream mixture cool off for a few minutes, then strain in through a sieve. Pour the mixture into individual serving bowls or molds. Place the bowls or molds in the refrigerator until the cream mixture is set, about 4-6 hours.
If you are using molds, loosen the panna cotta by placing the molds in hot water for about a minute, then unmold onto plates, knocking on the tops in need be to detach the panna cotta from the mold. You may need to use a spatula if the panna cotta sticks stubbornly to the mold, as it has a tendency to do.
Whether you presenting your panna cotta in bowls or unmolded on to plates, let it come to room temperature. Just before serving, pour your sauce or toppings over and/or around the panna cotta.
Notes on Panna Cotta
The amount of sugar can vary according to your sweet tooth. The 100g/half cup of sugar indicated here makes for an only slightly sweet panna cotta, perfect for my taste, but you will find recipes calling for as much as double that amount. You can also make a lighter version of panna cotta by substituting milk for some (say, up to half) of the cream; in the use US you could, in fact, use “Half and Half” instead of cream.
It goes without saying, perhaps, but there are lots of way to get creative with panna cotta by substituting the vanilla with other flavorings—you can find recipes for panna cotta infused with coconut, white chocolate, blood orange, even pink peppercorns. But before you get crazy, do try the classic version.
These days panna cotta is often accompanied by assorted berries, lightly macerated in sugar and lemon juice as if you were making a macedonia, or perhaps a single berry puréed into a coulis. Also very popular in Italy are caramel—which is nothing but equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar melts and boiled until the mixture thickens and browns—and gently melted chocolate. But here, too, you can let your imagination run.
Traditional panna cotta is not for vegetarians, as gelatin is made from fish or meat bones. Pectic is a possible substitute, but not recommended as it is citrus based, and may curdle the cream (although I have to admit I haven’t done the experiment.) The old fashioned way to make panna cotta involves eggs, whisking the whites of two medium eggs vigorously into the hot cream at the same time you would have added the gelatin.
For a lighter dessert along the same lines, try the biancomangiare from Sicily.
Ingredients
- 500ml (2 cups) heavy cream, or a mix of cream and milk (see Notes)
- 100g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, opened, or a few drops of vanilla extract
- 1 small envelope of powdered gelatin, or 2 sheets of sheet gelatin
- Optional sauces and toppings:
- Fresh berries, plain or macerated with lemon juice and sugar
- Caramel sauce
- Melted chocolate
Instructions
Heat the cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan until it is just about the come to a boil, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. While the cream is heating up, soften the gelatin in enough tepid water just to cover. When the cream is just about to boil, remove it from the heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir to dissolve the gelatin completely. Remove the vanilla bean if using.
Let the cream mixture cool off for a few minutes, then strain in through a sieve. Pour the mixture into individual serving bowls or molds. Place the bowls or molds in the refrigerator until the cream mixture is set, about 4-6 hours.
If you are using molds, loosen the panna cotta by placing the molds in hot water for about a minute, then unmold onto plates, knocking on the tops in need be to detach the panna cotta from the mold. You may need to use a spatula if the panna cotta sticks stubbornly to the mold, as it has a tendency to do.
Whether you presenting your panna cotta in bowls or unmolded on to plates, let it come to room temperature. Just before serving, pour your sauce or toppings over and/or around the panna cotta.
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