This Italian Panna cotta recipe will help you make the best creamy silky smooth vanilla panna cotta in a simple and easy method.
Panna cotta,is an Italian dessert which is easy to make and can be prepared in advance. It looks and tastes wonderful and is usually topped with tart and sweet fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, or sweet cherries.
What is Panna cotta
Panna cotta means ‘cooked cream’ in Italian.
We can make it with only a few ingredients.Panna cotta is basically a simple mixture of cream, sugar, and vanilla. Gelatin is added to set the mixture and create a custard-like consistency.
The final product is rich and silky smooth. This is one of the best classic panna cotta recipes I know.
Why Italian Panna cotta is one of the most loved delicate desserts of all time
It’s easy to make.
We can prepare the panna cotta in less than 15 minutes.
This recipe for making Italian Pannacotta is practically foolproof.
The ingredients needed for making this panna cotta dessert are pretty simple and minimal.
It’s gluten-free.
We can adapt this Original panna cotta recipe to fit it into dairy-free and vegan diets.
Panna cotta Ingredients
- Heavy cream :2 cups or 480ml
- Milk :1 cup or 240 ml
- Sugar :1/3 cup or 67g
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla sugar:1 and 1/2 tsp
- Gelatin :1 tbsp or 10g
Strawberry sauce Ingredients
- Fresh or frozen strawberry :2 cups
- Sugar :1/4 cup or 50g
- Water :1/3 cup or 80 ml
How to make Panna cotta
In to a very small bowl sprinkle gelatin over milk and let stand about 1 minute to soften.
In a large saucepan bring cream, milk, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring.
Pour in some of the hot cream from the sauce pan into the bowl of gelatin .
Stir and dissolve the gelatin and pour it back into the big sauce pan.
Stir in gelatin and immediately whisk until smooth and dissolved.
Remove pan from heat.
If the gelatin hasn’t fully dissolved, return the saucepan to the stove and heat gently over low heat. Stir constantly and don’t let the mixture boil.
I added vanilla extract just after taking the pan out of the heat.So that the aroma of vanilla will get locked in the cream.
Divide cream mixture among four to five ramekins or panna cotta moulds and cool to room temperature.
Or we can pour it in some fancy dessert glasses so that we don’ need to demould the panna cotta and so it will be faster and easier while serving.
Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
How long will it take for the pannacotta to set
Panna cotta takes a minimum of 4 hours to set, but that depends on the size of your cups. If you use mini individual cups, it would set rather quickly.
How to make berry sauce for the Panna cotta
Its so easy to make the berry sauce.
Into a saucepan add 1/3 cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 cups of fresh or frozen berries .Here I have used only strawberries.
Bring it to boil and until it forms a syrup consistency.
This stawberry sauce goes pretty well with our easy chocolate cake as well
Can I omit Gelatin in this Pannacotta recipe
The gelatin can’t be omitted from the recipe, because without it the panna cotta won’t set.
What is Gelatin
Gelatin or gelatine is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen.
It is brittle when dry and gummy when moist.
Gelatin for cooking comes as powder, granules, and sheets. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others must soak in water beforehand.
What is the Difference Between Powdered and Sheet Gelatin
Gelatin powder is gelatin that has been dried and broken up into individual grains, which has the advantage if dispersing more easily throughout a dish. It is readily available in your local super market.
Sheet gelatin, also called leaf gelatin, is made from gelatin that is dried in a thin flat piece. The sheets dissolve more slowly than the granulated form, but there is no chance of undissolved granules in the dish.
How to substitute gelatin leaf for gelatin powder
Powdered gelatin typically comes in 1/4 ounce / 10 gram packets of 225 bloom strength.
You can substitute sheet gelatin for powdered gelatin in any recipe by using the following scaling. 1 (0.25 oz.) envelope granulated gelatin = 1 tablespoon [(10g)] powdered gelatin = 3 sheets leaf gelatin. One sheet of leaf gelatin would correspond to ~1 teaspoon (3g) of powdered gelatin.
Can you freeze panna cotta
Yes, you can! Keep it covered in the freezer.
Leave it overnight in the fridge to thaw throughly before using.
Is gelatin Vegan
No,Gelatin is not vegan.
Gelatin is not suitable for vegetarians as it is a protein derived from collagen which is found in animals.
What is the vegetarian substitute for gelatin?
Derived from seaweed, Agar Agar is a vegan alternative to gelatin and can be used as a thickener and gelling agent in jams, panna cotta, vegan jelly and jello shots. Agar agar can be made thicker or thinner by adding more agar or more water.
If you like desserts and you don’t want to add gelatin into it, you may like this Simple and delicious Creme caramel Recipe made in three simple steps.
How to substitute agar agar for gelatin
We can use the same amount of agar agar as of gelatin.
So if using 10g of gelatin, you can use 10g of agar agar instead.
Is heavy cream same as whipping cream
Both heavy cream and whipping cream are basically the same.
The difference comes down to fat content.
Heavy cream has slightly more fat (at least 36 percent) compared with whipping cream (at least 30 percent).
Both whip well (and taste delicious), but heavy cream will hold its shape longer, while whipping cream produces a lighter, softer texture.
Heavy cream is also called double cream in UK.
Can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream in this panna cotta recipe
Yes you can use whipping cream instead of heavy cream for making pannacotta.
Is Cooking Cream same as heavy cream
Cooking cream, is stabilized to withstand high cooking temperatures without curdling or breaking.
It contains less butterfat than heavy cream, but it’s lighter and more liquid than heavy cream.
It’s the ideal cream to use when you need to simmer or bring a dish to a boil.
Can I use Cooking Cream instead of Heavy Cream for making Pannacotta
Yes you can use cooking cream instead of heavy cream for making this pannacotta.
Watch the video to see How to make Pannacotta
Panna cotta Recipe
Ingredients
Panna cotta Ingredients
- 480 ml Heavy cream 2 cups
- 240 ml Milk 1 cup
- 67 g Sugar 1/3 cup
- 1 and 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract or Vanilla sugar
- 10 g Gelatin 1 tbsp or 1 sachet
Strawberry Sauce Ingredients
- 2 cups Fresh or frozen strawberry
- 50 g Sugar 1/4 cup
- 80 ml Water 1/3 cup
Instructions
How to make Panna cotta
- In to a very small bowl sprinkle gelatin over milk and let stand about 1 minute to soften.In a large saucepan bring cream, milk, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Pour in some of the hot cream from the sauce pan into the bowl of gelatin .Stir and dissolve the gelatin and pour it back into the big sauce pan.Stir in gelatin and immediately whisk until smooth and dissolved.Remove pan from heat.If the gelatin hasn’t fully dissolved, return the saucepan to the stove and heat gently over low heat. Stir constantly and don’t let the mixture boil.I added vanilla extract just after taking the pan out of the heat.So that the aroma of vanilla will get locked in the cream. Divide cream mixture among four to five ramekins or panna cotta moulds and cool to room temperature. Or we can pour it in some fancy dessert glasses so that we don’ need to demould the panna cotta and so it will be faster and easier while serving.Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.