Panna Cotta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes (plus 4 hours chilling time)

Servings: 4

Origin

• Region: Piedmont

• Historical Context: The name literally means "cooked cream." While variations of gelatinized dairy existed for centuries across Europe, the refined modern recipe was codified in the early 20th century in the Langhe region of northern Italy.

Description

An elegant, silky-smooth molded cream dessert with a delicate, gentle wobble. Rich heavy cream is infused with fresh vanilla bean, lightly sweetened, set with gelatin, and complemented by a vibrant fruit coulis or caramel glaze.

Presentation

Served chilled, either directly inside decorative glass jars or carefully unmolded onto flat dessert plates with a pool of wild berry (frutti di bosco) sauce cascading down the sides.

Ingredients

• 500ml heavy cream (minimum 35% fat)

• 75g granulated sugar

• 1 whole vanilla bean (split lengthwise and seeds scraped)

• 6g gelatin sheets (or 1.5 tsp powdered gelatin)

• 200g mixed berries (for the optional sauce)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Bloom Gelatin: Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5–10 minutes until completely soft and pliable.

2. Heat Cream: In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla seeds, and the empty vanilla bean pod. Heat gently over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves completely—do not let the mixture come to a boil.

3. Dissolve Gelatin: Remove the cream saucepan from the heat source and discard the empty vanilla bean pod. Squeeze excess water from the bloomed gelatin sheets, drop them directly into the hot cream, and stir vigorously until completely dissolved.

4. Mold: Pour the cream mixture through a fine strainer evenly into 4 ramekins or small dessert molds.

5. Chill: Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours until fully set with a delicate wobble.

6. Make Sauce and Serve: Simmer the mixed berries with a tablespoon of sugar and lemon juice for 5 minutes until syrupy. Spoon this cooled sauce over the tops of the panna cotta before serving.

Optional Variations

• Panna Cotta al Caffè: Infuse the hot cream with 2 tablespoons of freshly crushed espresso beans instead of vanilla for a rich, aromatic coffee twist.

Cooking Tips

• Avoid over-using gelatin. A perfect panna cotta should just barely hold its shape when unmolded; adding too much gelatin turns the texture rubbery instead of creamy and melt-in-your-mouth soft.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 310 kcal

• Carbohydrates: 18g

• Protein: 3g

• Fat: 26g

• Sodium: 45mg