Panna Cotta Quick And Easy

Panna Cotta is a traditional italian dessert that is perfect for someone who is busy and doesn’t have the time to spend making a complicated dessert but still wants something delicious to follow up their meal with. Panna Cotta has the texture of a pudding that has been gelled and set up and it has a wonderful creamy taste that goes great with a variety of toppings. On top of that it’s very simple and quick to make but it does require at least six hours to set up in the fridge so it’s best to make it the morning of or the night before you’re planning on having it for dessert.

To make your panna cotta you’ll need the following ingredients:

one cup of whole milk
one tablespoon of powdered gelatin
three cups of whipping cream
one third of a cup of honey
one tablespoon of sugar
one fourth of a teaspoon of salt
a couple of cups of whatever fruit or berry toppings you prefer

You’re also going to need some glasses or fun little bowls to set your panna cotta up in. I find that it’s best to use clear glasses so that you can see the lovely display of your panna cotta and any toppings on it. However you can also use small basic molds like little bowls with round sloping bottoms to serve as dishes for your panna cotta. If you use these all you have to do is flip your mold upside down onto a plate and let your panna cotta slide out of it. If it doesn’t want to come out putting a warm towel on the bottom of the bowl can heat it just enough to make your panna cotta let go or you can run a knife (that has been run under a bit of warm water) around the edges of it to loosen it. Once you’re panna cotta has been transferred onto it’s plate you can go ahead with your toppings and presentation on it. This style of presenting it does very well with powdered sugar and a fruit sauce on it too.

Now - on to making your panna cotta. First you’ll want to place the milk in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let it rest for a few minutes so that the gelatin can be absorbed. One the gelatin has settled a bit you want to pour the milk mixture into a saucepan and put it over medium heat. Let the gelatin dissolve but do not let the milk come to a boil - this should only take five minutes or so. Add the cream, the honey, the sugar, and the salt in and stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved (another five to seven minutes). Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into your small bowls or glasses (five or six depending on the size of them) and let them cool. Once they have cooled a bit place them in the refrigerator to set up for at least six hours.

Once your panna cotta have set up you can either transfer them on to a plate (if you used molds, that is) or you can leave them in their little glasses, top them with some berries or powdered sugar, and serve them to your guests with spoons and enjoy!