Creamy and silky smooth, this vanilla infused Italian Panna Cotta topped with a delicious berry sauce is the perfect sweet ending to any meal. Impress your sweetheart, family, or friends with this elegant show stopping dessert tonight!
Life is short, eat dessert. This one is for the dessert lovers and, speaking of lovers… it’s coming up on Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for tantalizing recipes for your sweetheart, why not begin with a romantic Pink Lady Cocktail and finish on a sweet note with a classic Italian dessert.
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Italian Panna Cotta
As Italian desserts go, this incredible vanilla panna cotta recipe is the cream of the crop. Forget tiramisu or struffoli, this simple make ahead dessert infuses vanilla bean paste into a heavy cream mixture set with gelatin.
The ideal way to finish off such an outstanding treat is with a lively berry coulis. The tart notes of the fresh berries contrast perfectly with the sweet cream. Everyone says they have one spoonful, and they are in love!
I highly recommend pairing this creamy dessert with wines like a late harvest Riesling, slightly sweet sparkling Moscato d’Asti or Italian Prosecco.
Alternatively, do as the Italians do and pair your Panna Cotta with an amaro, Amaretto or Frangelico digestif. A hot espresso or coffee-based liqueur like Kahlúa, Caffè Borghetti, or J. Rieger & Co Caffè Amaro is also a great pairing.
This Italian Panna Cotta is one of the easiest dessert recipes you’ll ever make. It contains very few ingredients and requires minimal prep time. Furthermore, the set time makes it the perfect make ahead dessert. While it sets in the refrigerator, you are free to prepare other dinner party dishes.
What is Panna Cotta?
Essentially, Panna Cotta means ‘cooked cream’ (panera cheuita) in the dialect of the northern Italian region, Piedmont. This simple dessert contains sweetened, sometimes infused cream originally thickened with isinglass. The mixture is poured into a mold and removed several hours later, once it has set.
These days gelatin is the key to a perfect panna cotta and the quintessential panna cotta texture. It only occurs when the ratios of milk, sugar, and gelatin turn the cooked cream into a gelatinous pudding with just the right amount of wobble.
Though it may sometimes be referred to as a custard, Panna Cotta is not a true custard as it does not contain eggs.
Italian Panna Cotta Ingredients
The ingredients list for this classic dessert is refreshingly short. Aside from the unflavoured gelatin, there are no other specialty ingredients required.
- Whole Milk
- Gelatin Powder
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Paste
- Heavy Cream
- Salt
- Berries
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla Extract
It is essential that you use only unflavoured gelatin powder (such as Knox brand) in this recipe. No other brand has been tested. Note: one envelope contains 7 grams of gelatin powder.
You will be blooming the gelatin in a portion of whole milk, then mixing it with the rest of milk, the sugar, vanilla paste (or vanilla extract), and salt later. Once it is gently heated with the heavy cream, the gelatin mixture will activate and thicken as it cools.
Vanilla paste and vanilla extract can be used interchangeably in most recipes, though they each result in a different visual effect. If you enjoy seeing little flecks of vanilla in the creamy white dessert, use vanilla paste. However, for a creamy white, fleck free Panna Cotta, use vanilla extract.
You can also use whole vanilla beans! To do so, cut along the length of a vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds (using half in the cream mixture & half in the fruit coulis).
Feel free to use a mixture of fresh or frozen berries or make the coulis using your favourite berry (blackberries, raspberries, pitted cherries, etc). I also love adding rhubarb or using stone fruit such as apricots to top Panna Cotta. Using cornstarch instead of gelatin to thicken the coulis will allow for a more sauce like texture.
How to Make Italian Panna Cotta
Essentially, Panna Cotta is made in three easy steps: Bloom, Heat, and Set. The berry coulis is an extra step, though it is well worth the effort. If you don’t like berries, feel free to top your Panna Cotta with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.
Bloom the Gelatin
To bloom the gelatin, place 1/4 cup whole milk in a small bowl then sprinkle 7 grams gelatin powder over the surface. Stir briefly then allow it the gelatin mixture to sit while you continue.
Heat the Mixture
Place the remaining 1 cup of milk, ½ cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or extract) in a medium saucepan. Whisk the milk mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the mixture begins to foam (and an instant-read thermometer registers between 150°F and 160°F) remove it from heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture. When the gelatin mixture is completely dissolved add the heavy cream and a pinch of salt.
Return the panna cotta mixture to the stove and whisk on low heat until it is just heated through. Finally, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl with a pourable spout (or large measuring cup) to collect any solid bits.
Set the Panna Cotta
Allow the mixture to cool, then pour it into four large (10 oz) cocktail glasses or dessert bowls. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours, (ideally overnight).
Make the Berry Coulis
While the panna cotta chills, prepare the berry coulis by combining the fresh or frozen berries, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and mash the fruit with a potato masher until broken down.
Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. When it starts to foam and has slightly thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Finally, collect the smooth fruit coulis by putting the fruit through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the remaining pulp.
Spoon the berry coulis over the set Panna Cotta and garnish with fresh fruit to serve.
Store any leftover Panna Cotta in the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap.
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Italian Panna Cotta Recipe
Creamy and silky smooth, this vanilla infused Italian Panna Cotta topped with a delicious berry sauce is the perfect sweet ending to any meal. Impress your sweetheart, family, or friends with this elegant show stopping dessert tonight!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup cold whole Milk; divided
- 1 envelope (7g) unflavored Gelatin powder (I used Knox brand)
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure Vanilla Paste (or Vanilla Extract)
- 1 ½ cups heavy Cream (360mL)
- Pinch of Salt
FOR THE BERRY COULIS
- 2 ¼ cups frozen mixed Berries
- 1/3 cup granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Place ¼ cup of the cold milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top, give it a quick stir, and then leave the mixture undisturbed to hydrate.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the remaining 1 cup of milk, ½ cup of sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract. Whisk until combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from the heat when the milk mixture begins to foam (and an instant-read thermometer registers between 150°F and 160°F).
- Add the gelatin mixture and whisk until it has dissolved.
- Add the heavy cream and pinch of salt, then return the saucepan to the stove. Whisk over low heat until heated through.
- Pour the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl with a pourable spout (or large measuring cup) to collect any cooked bits.
- Allow the mixture to cool, then divide it evenly among 4 large (10 oz) cocktail glasses or 6 smaller ones.
- Place panna cotta to set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, (ideally overnight).
- While the panna cotta chills, prepare the berry coulis by combining the fresh or frozen berries, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat, and mash the fruit with a potato masher until broken down.
- Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, and add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. When it starts to foam and has slightly thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- To collect the smooth fruit coulis, put the fruit through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the remaining pulp.
- To serve, spoon the fruit coulis over the set panna cotta and serve and garnish with fresh fruit.
Notes
Notes:
Blueberries contain a higher concentration of pectin, which helps to thicken the sauce naturally. If you are not using blueberries (or only a smaller amount of them) add 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch to the sauce as it simmers (adding more if needed)
The large cocktail glasses I used held 10 ounces each.
This dessert can also be served in 6 greased ramekins and inverted onto a plate with the berry coulis coulis on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 568Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 3gSugar: 53gProtein: 7g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
