Friday, January 13, 2006

Panna Cotta

Making Panna Cotta

I had some left over thickened (heavy/double) cream in the fridge and decided to make another Italian dessert.

I hardly eat Panna Cotta but I do appreciate the smooth slickness of it. It's really creamy and ever so sinful but hey, since when am I someone who cared about the calories? So anyway, I went to consult my trusty Williams-Sonoma Italian cookbook and decided to make some of this dessert myself. You can serve it with strawberries (combine 3 cups of the fruit with 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp orange zest, cook over low heat about 3-5 minutes, let cool and refrigerate for up t o6 hours) or do as I do, eat it with some jam. Yes I was too lazy to make the strawberry syrup and all.

Panna Cotta

I didn't have any ramekins so I used a small glass cup.

Panna Cotta with Jam

This is how it looks like, unmolded. Okay I know it doesn't look that chic. Hey I don't have any ramekins. Wait till I get me some, I'll make this again, together with the strawberries. haha. anyway, I finished one serving myself. I feel rather full now... and I haven't had dinner yet! Oops.

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Panna Cotta

2 and 1/2 tsps unflavoured powdered gelatin
2 and 1/2 cups (20 fl 0z/625 ml) heavy (double) cream
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) whole milk
1/3 cup (3 oz/90 g) sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (essence)

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 3 tbsps cold water and stir to blend. Let stand until the gelatin is softened, about 5 minutes.

Pour the cream and milk into a large saucepan. Add the sugar and salt, place over medium heat, and heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until bubbles appear along the edge of the pan. Stir in the gelatin mixture and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Divide among six 3/4 cup (6 fl 0z/180 ml) ramekins. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

Makes 6 servings

From Williams-Sonoma Italian Cookbook

6 comments:

Nic said...

Oh, that looks so creamy! Beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm new here. where to get the double cream? Or is it same as evaporated milk? tks

anni said...

If I had your mailing address, I'd send you a set of ramekins. Making dessert like this one, you deserve a set. Better still, your cups make them look even more enticing...
I can feel the weight of the cream...ahhh that full, fat, flavor we all search for.
Well done.

Seriously, I'll send you an extra set of ramekins. Being a caterer, I have plenty.

Tootles,
Anni

Colin said...

Anonymous, double cream isn't the same as evaporated milk, it's cream with at least 35% butterfat content. You can find it in most supermarkets.

the baker said...

nic: yep and it tasted so good that I was so tempted to have a second helping. haha

anon: like what colin said, it's different from evaporated milk. double cream is the same as thickened cream. I used Bulla. Carrefour sells it.

anni: heya! seriously? you would? haha i can give you my mailing address and probably send you some of my homemade cookies or Chinese New Year (coming soon!) cookies in return. what say you? pop me an email ya? hehee, it could be our own mini BBM (blogging by mail)!

Anonymous said...

Panna Cotta has to be my favorite dessert of all time, I don't know how many different variations I have tried so far. If you get the chance to use real vanilla beans, try it, they are the real deal... and I love the little black dots which you'll finally catch sight after unmolding the panna cotta ;)

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