PANNA COTTA DESSERT WITH BERRIES

Literally meaning, cooked cream, Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert made with sweetened cream and gelatin. Often cited as a traditional dessert of the Piedmont area, Panna Cotta became popular in North America in the 1990s. Similar to custard but thickened with gelatin instead of egg yolks, Panna Cotta is deliciously creamy and silky smooth on the tongue with a hint of sweetness to it. It can be infused with many different flavors including chocolate and eggnog or more exotic flavors like mango or matcha, but my favorite is always the traditional recipe which calls for just a light touch of vanilla. Served with fresh berries in season or topped with a raspberry coulis Panna Cotta is a delicious dessert that looks fancy yet is easy to make.

What Ingredients Do I Need

• Unflavored gelatin
• Heavy cream – You want a heavy cream with a milk fat content of at least 35%.
• Half and half cream
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is fine.
• Vanilla extract – I always recommend using a pure extract for the best flavor.

How Do You Make Panna Cotta

This is an extremely easy dessert to make. It requires no baking and is quick to prepare. The only real time involved is in waiting for it to set in the fridge. The first step is to prepare the gelatin by adding it to a couple of teaspoons of cold water in a small pot. Slowly warm it up until the gelatin has dissolved. Next, warm up the cream in a medium-sized pot and add the sugar and vanilla. Once the sugar has dissolved remove the pan from the heat and add the gelatin mixture. Once that’s combined divide the mixture among the eight ramekins and let them cool to room temperature before covering and storing them in the fridge until you need them.

What To Serve Panna Cotta With

For variety, Panna Cotta can be topped with any fruit that is in season. Any type of berry works well with this dessert. Also delicious is a chocolate sauce and whipped cream. A caramel sauce is also nice.

Because it’s so easy to prepare and can be made in minutes, this Panna Cotta is my go-to dessert when I have guests. What is your go-to dessert when you want to impress?

Frequently Asked Questions;

Is panna cotta a custard or a pudding? While very similar to a pudding, panna cotta is a traditional Italian custard.

Is panna cotta similar to creme brule? While both are similar and both are dairy based, creme brule uses eggs to help it firm up while panna cotta is made with gelatin to harden it. 

What is healthier? Creme brule or panna cotta? As panna cotta does not use egg yolks whereas creme brule does, panna cotta is a lighter choice.

What is the difference between Barvarian cream and panna cotta? Again, while both contain dairy, Bavarian cream uses eggs, whereas panna cotta uses gelatin to firm it up. Bavarian cream also has whipped cream folded in while panna cotta does not.

Traditional Panna Cotta With Berries

An easy no-bake Italian custard-like dessert that is perfect served with berries or a sauce.

www.comfortandpeasant.com

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Cooling Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1 Envelope (about 1 tbsp) Unflavored gelatin
• 2 Tbsp Cold Water
• 2 Cups Heavy cream
• 1 Cup Half and half
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Add water to a very small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the water. Let it stand for about 1 minute to soften. Heat the gelatin mixture over very low heat until the gelatin is dissolved and remove it from the heat.
• In a large saucepan using moderately high heat, bring the cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture and vanilla. Divide the cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Cover the ramekins and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Serve in the ramekins or if you prefer, turn out the Panna Cotta onto individual plates. To do this, dip the ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds. Then run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin and invert the ramekin onto the center of a small plate tapping the bottom of the dish to help release the Panna Cotta.
• Top with fresh berries in season and serve.

Keyword Custard, Dessert, Pudding

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If you’re looking for more dessert recipes check out my Dark Chocolate Mousse or my Olive Oil Cake With Limoncello Mascarpone Cream.