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Vanilla Panna Cotta - Smooth and creamy Italian dessert


It was during a TV reality show, MasterChef Australia, that I first came across a dessert called panna cotta. The name intrigued me, but it was the elegance of its presentation that truly caught my eye. Later, at an Italian restaurant in Bangalore, I finally had the chance to taste it. Smooth, delicate, and beautifully simple, it was love at first spoonful. From that moment on, panna cotta has remained my all-time favorite dessert—an epitome of understated beauty and heavenly flavour.

 A spoonful of panna cotta is remarkably creamy, melting in the mouth without a trace of grittiness or lumps. Panna cotta is a very basic pudding that is made of dairy thickened with gelatin. It originated in Italy and its name literally means "cooked cream". You can eat it straight out of a cup, but it's often unmolded onto a plate and drizzled with sweet sauce and garnished with fruit. 

 It is not known exactly how or when this dessert came to be, but some theories suggest that cream, for which mountainous Northern Italy is famous, was historically eaten plain or sweetened with fruit or hazelnuts. The earliest recipes mention simmering the cream with fish bones (the collagen would set the cream). 

 Today panna cotta is almost invariably made with gelatin, which gives it a smooth mouthfeel and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. You can substitute the gelatin with Agar Agar or China Grass for a vegetarian version. 

 But you can create a wide spectrum of taste and richness depending on the type of dairy used. The cream may be aromatized with rum, coffee, vanilla, or other flavourings. You can also make it using coconut milk or almond milk.

 So, here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cream
1 1/2 cups mIlk 
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean pod (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
2 1/2 teaspoons gelatin

 Method:
Place the cream and milk in a saucepan. Use a small sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise, then scrape the seeds from inside the bean. 
Add the seeds and bean to the saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. 
Discard bean from cream mixture. Add sugar and return to a low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until sugar dissolves.
Place 2 tablespoons of boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Sprinkle over gelatin. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Remove from heat. 
Sit the bowl of gelatin in the water and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then stir into the cream mixture.
The panna cotta mixture is ready.
Once the mixture is completely smooth, pour it in your desired glasses or ramekins. Refrigerate until fully set; 4 to 6 hours.

 When it is time to serve, dip the panna cotta moulds, one at a time, into a heatproof bowl half-filled with hot water. Leave for about 5 seconds. Invert onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the mould from the panna cotta to serve. It goes well with fresh seasonal fruits. For me, strawberries are a perfect match.

 This is a make-ahead dessert perfect for entertaining! 
Serve it in wine glasses at your next dinner party, or in tiny shot glasses for a larger gathering. It’s very easy and quick to make at home.....it takes just about 20-25 minutes before refrigeration.

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