Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta is a silky-smooth, decadent dessert. It’s the sort of thing that might seem fancy, but it’s actually very easy to make. It’s just cream, sugar, and gelatin, usually topped with something like a fruit compote. But a lot of people are vegetarian or dairy-free these days. So I’ve worked on a couple of alternative recipes to accommodate people’s diets.
First, a traditional panna cotta with balsamic strawberry compote. Nothing special, you can find a million recipes like it on the internet, but we need a baseline. Then an almond milk based version with raspberry lime compote. Almond milk isn’t fatty enough on its own, so we’ll be adding an egg yolk to it. That makes it less a pure panna cotta and kind of a panna cotta/custard hybrid. Lastly, a vegan pina colada panna cotta made with coconut milk. Since gelatin is not vegetarian, the last two versions will be made with agar, a thickener derived from seaweed. You should be able to find it at a health food store or online.
As always, recipes are just suggestions. Feel free to mix the fruit and milk combos, or use gelatin or agar as is fitting for your diet. I have to admit, nothing beats the original, but if that’s not for you, you have options.
Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberry Compote
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 4 h 30 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
(Panna Cotta)
2 tbsp water
1 envelope (about 2 tsp) powdered gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Salt
(Balsamic Strawberry Compote)
12 oz. fresh strawberries (plus a few berries for garnish, if desired)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt
1. In a small saucepan add the water and gelatin. Let it sit for a minute for the gelatin to bloom. It’s going to look like you made a horrible mistake, but it’s fine. Turn the heat on low, and the gelatinous mess will melt into a syrup.
2. In a medium saucepan add the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine over medium heat. Once the mixture reaches a simmer, cut the heat and add the gelatin mixture. Stir well to combine for a few minutes. Let cool.
3. In 6 individual sized containers (such as ramekins, sturdy glasses, or small plastic containers) add even amounts of the panna cotta mixture. Gelatin takes awhile to set, so if you’re using glass because you’re fancy or something, you can let it cool awhile longer so you don’t risk any breakage. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4. To make the compote, chop the strawberries in a food processor or blender. You don’t want to over process it. You’re looking for small, even-sized pieces but not completely smooth. Add the strawberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring up to a simmer and turn the heat to low, cooking until the texture resembles apple sauce, about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature then transfer it to a bowl or other container, cover, and refrigerate.
5. Once the panna cotta has completely set, add a spoonful of the chilled compote over top, garnish with fresh strawberries if desired, and serve! (Don’t add the compote to the panna cotta until serving time because the acid in the vinegar may affect the panna cotta’s texture if it’s sitting too long.)
Almond panna cotta with raspberry lime compote
Active time: 35 min
Total time: 4 h 35 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
(Panna Cotta)
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Salt
1/2 tsp. agar powder
(Raspberry Lime Compote)
12 oz. fresh raspberries (plus a few berries for garnish, if desired)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt
1. In a mixing bowl add the yolk, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the almond milk. Whisk to combine.
2. In a medium saucepan add the rest of the almond milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine over medium heat. Have the egg mixture nearby with a large spoon and whisk.
3. Once the mixture reaches a simmer, temper the egg mixture by slowly adding the heated almond milk into the egg mixture a spoonful at a time while whisking well, until about half the almond milk has joined the egg mixture. Then slowly pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the almond milk, whisking that as well. It’s important to keep whisking so you don’t get any lumps.
4. Bring back to a simmer. While still whisking, sprinkle in the agar a little at a time. It tends to clump so you don’t want to do it all at once. Stir for a few minutes, until the agar is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat. allow the the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
5. In 6 individual sized containers (such as ramekins, sturdy glasses, or small plastic containers) add even amounts of the panna cotta mixture. Agar sets at room temperature so you’ll need to work a little more quickly than you would with gelatin, but you should still have plenty of time. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
6. To make the compote, add the raspberries, sugar, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring up to a simmer and turn the heat to low, cooking about 20-25 minutes. The raspberries should completely break down. Let it cool to room temperature then transfer it to a bowl or other container, cover, and refrigerate.
7. Once the panna cotta has completely set, add a spoonful of the chilled compote over top, garnish with fresh raspberries if desired, and serve! (Don’t add the compote to the panna cotta until serving time because the acid in the lime juice may affect the panna cotta’s texture if it’s sitting too long.)
Vegan Pina Colada Panna Cotta
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 4 h 30 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
(Panna Cotta)
3 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Salt
1/2 tsp agar powder
(Pineapple Rum Compote)
12 oz. fresh pineapple (plus a few chunks for garnish, if desired)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp white rum (optional, but the alcohol should cook off)
Salt
1. In a medium saucepan add the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine over medium heat. Once the mixture reaches a simmer, slowly sprinkle in the agar, whisking to avoid any clumps. Stir well to combine for a few minutes. Let cool.
2. In 6 individual sized containers (such as ramekins, sturdy glasses, or small plastic containers) add even amounts of the panna cotta mixture. Agar sets at room temperature so you’ll need to work a little more quickly than you would with gelatin, but you should still have plenty of time. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. You may notice that the coconut milk has a tendency to separate a little and there may be a layer of clear liquid at the bottom. This is fine and will end up being a coconut jelly for bonus texture!
3. To make the compote, chop the pineapple in a food processor or blender. You don’t want to over process it. You’re looking for small, even-sized pieces but not completely smooth. Add the pineapple, sugar, rum and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring up to a simmer and turn the heat to low, cooking until it has the consistency of a thick applesauce about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature then transfer it to a bowl or other container, cover, and refrigerate.
4. Once the panna cotta has completely set, add a spoonful of the chilled compote over top, garnish with fresh pineapple if desired, and serve! (Don’t add the compote to the panna cotta until serving time because the acid in the pineapple may affect the panna cotta’s texture if it’s sitting too long.)
