Panna Cotta

Preparation time

15m

Waiting time

4h to overnight

Servings

4 servings

One of the simplest, but no less show-stopping a dessert, which you can throw together in fifteen minutes (and then wait for a few hours for it to set, but that doesn't count). During hot summer months especially, this Italian delicacy can be a great home-made alternative to ice cream. It requires very few ingredients and there's a good chance you might have all of them at home already. Serve refrigerator cold and with any sweet toppings that strike your fancy that day.

Ingredients

  • gelatine for 0.5 l of liquid
  • 0.5 l water
  • 200 ml milk
  • 200 ml whipping cream
  • 2 packets of vanilla sugar

or

  • 10 g sugar
  • 10 g vanilla essence

Directions

  1. Add the gelatine to the cold water and wait a few minutes for it to bloom. Make sure the water is not too warm, otherwise your gelatine will disolve.
  2. Add the milk, whipping cream, sugar and vanilla essence (or vanilla sugar) to a saucepan and heat while stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Do NOT bring to a boil, just heat until small bubbles start forming around the edges of the liquid.
  3. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the gelatine (if using gelatine sheets, wring out excess water first), then stir until dissolved.
  4. Pour the mixture into desired recepticle(s) and let it cool to room temperature.
  5. Transfer to fridge and let set for at least 4 hours, or better yet, over night.
  6. Add desired toppings (some suggestions can be found in the notes section of this recipe).

Notes

Serving suggestions

The classic: The most well-known toppings are usually made from some kind of berry or mixture thereof (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, mixed berries), mixed with sugar and a little bit of water, then brought to a boil and simmered until thick and jam-like. If that sounds like something you're interested in, a recipe will be available here shortly.

Figs and pistachios: If you want something a little less traditional, but still in the spirit of all that's Italy, try my recipe for caramelized figs with honey and pistachios. It's rich sweet flavor balances perfectly against the light and creamy texture of the panna cotta.

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