Creamy Vanilla Panna Cotta Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is Italian panna cotta made of? ›

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert that literally means "cooked cream". It contains just a few ingredients; cream (and/or milk), sugar, and vanilla that are set with gelatin. This lovely eggless custard-like pudding has a rich flavor and silky smooth texture that takes just minutes to prepare.

The gelatin gets stronger as it sits, so this will be a bit rubbery by days 4 or 5, but you can mitigate this by letting the panna cotta sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving.

History. The name panna cotta is not mentioned in Italian cookbooks before the 1960s, yet it is often cited as a traditional dessert of the northern Italian region of Piedmont. One unverified story says that it was invented by a Hungarian woman in the Langhe in the early 19th century.

One of the best known and frequently requested desserts, panna cotta – literally “cooked cream” – originated in Piedmont and is made of cream and sugar. There are different versions and flavorings. Its delicate sweetness, smooth texture and the elegant way it is plated make it a perfect treat at the end of a meal.

The good news about this coconut panna cotta is that it comes packed with health benefits that support your entire body, and you can happily make it a regular part of your diet. The star of this dish is gelatin, a fabulous amino acid that promotes healthy gut function.

Too much gelatin could result in a texture that is too firm and Jello-like (you want the panna cotta to be just barely firm enough to unmold).

Today panna cotta is almost invariably made with gelatin, which gives it a smooth mouthfeel and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. But you can create a wide spectrum of taste and richness depending on the type of dairy used.

Unlike creme brulee, eggs are not used to thicken the mixture for panna cotta. Instead, gelatin is added before the mixture comes to a boil. It is then strained, poured into moulds and frozen till it sets. The cream is usually infused with vanilla or other flavourings before it is mixed with the other ingredients.

Why does my panna cotta split? ›

If you find that your panna cotta separates into two layers, one that's creamy and one that's more gelatin-like — there can be two reasons. First, either your gelatin didn't bloom and dissolve properly when stirred into the cream. Second, the cream mixture boiled after the gelatin was added.

Underhydrated gelatin will be stubbornly gritty, never dissolving, and negatively impact the final set. As with all gelatin desserts, this will become firmer the longer it sits, so eat your panna cotta within 24 hours for the most delicate, elegant texture.

Did you know that…? Panna cotta is probably the only dessert which can be made without eggs, flour, sugar and baking. Although panna cotta is not mentioned in Italian cookbooks before 1960, it is often regarded as a traditional Italian dessert of the Piedmont region.

Blanc-manger, panna cotta or molded cream, the idea is similar: gelatin is added to milk and/or cream infused with herbs, spices or nuts.

They differ by ingredients and method of preparation. Creme Brule is cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla. Panna cotta is cream, sugar and gelatin. Creme Brule is stirred overheat until thickened, then sugar is spread on the surface.

There's one main distinction that makes the two desserts so different, and it has to do with their makeup. Pudding and custard are thickened with egg yolks to give them their traditional appearance. Instead of egg yolks, panna cotta is hardened with gelatin, and egg yolks are not present within the recipe.