Description
This classic Italian Panna Cotta recipe yields a silky, creamy dessert that’s elegantly flavored with vanilla and served with a vibrant raspberry coulis. Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, it can be customized with various toppings like fresh berries, chopped nuts, or citrus slices for a delightful finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Panna Cotta
- 2 1/2 tsp unflavoured gelatine powder (can reduce to 2 1/4 tsp if not unmoulding)
- 1/2 cup full fat milk (for blooming gelatine)
- 1 cup full fat milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste with seeds (or substitute with vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean pod)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 pinch cooking salt or kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups heavy or thickened cream (or unwhipped whipping cream)
- Oil spray (neutral flavour, e.g., canola oil) for greasing molds
Raspberry Coulis
- 250g / 8 oz raspberries (fresh or frozen, no need to thaw)
- 3 tbsp white sugar
Garnishes (optional)
- Chopped pistachios
- Fresh mint leaves
- Fresh raspberries
- Other ideas: fresh berries, shaved chocolate, fruit compote, passionfruit pulp, citrus slices, finely chopped mango or pineapple
Instructions
- Bloom the Gelatine: Sprinkle the 2 1/2 tsp of gelatine powder over 1/2 cup of full fat milk in a small bowl and let it soften for about 5 minutes. This step ensures the gelatine dissolves smoothly later on.
- Heat the Cream Mixture: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup full fat milk, 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup caster sugar, 1 pinch of salt, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or prepared vanilla bean as per notes). Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is hot but not boiling.
- Dissolve Gelatine: Remove the cream mixture from heat and stir in the bloomed gelatine until fully dissolved, ensuring no granules remain. This will set the panna cotta perfectly.
- Pour and Chill: Lightly spray your chosen molds with neutral oil spray to help unmould later. Pour the mixture evenly into the molds or ramekins. Allow the panna cotta to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Chill for at least 4 hours or until set firmly.
- Prepare Raspberry Coulis: While the panna cotta sets, combine 250g raspberries and 3 tbsp white sugar in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve: To unmould, gently run a knife around the edge of each panna cotta and invert onto serving plates. Drizzle raspberry coulis over the panna cotta and garnish with chopped pistachios, fresh mint leaves, and additional raspberries or chosen toppings.
Notes
- Note 1: Gelatine quantity can be slightly reduced if you prefer to serve panna cotta directly in glasses without unmoulding.
- Note 6: If using a whole vanilla bean pod, split it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Heat the seeds and pod with the cream mixture and remove the pod before adding gelatine.
- For best results, do not boil the cream mixture as this can affect the texture and flavor.
- You can substitute caster sugar with superfine sugar for better dissolving.
- If using frozen raspberries for coulis, there’s no need to thaw; they can be blended directly.
- Ensure panna cotta is fully chilled and set before attempting to unmould to avoid breakage.
