How to make Panna Cotta

This is a classic recipe for the creamy Italian Panna Cotta. It is the best choice when you want to have an easy and delicious dessert.

The history of Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is a well-known Italian dessert that is served in many restaurants and hotels. It is popular all around the world today and is among many peoples’ favorites. The word panna cotta means “cooked cream”. As the name shows it is made of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin. It is put in a mold and is served cold after one day. The cream is usually aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings.

Although the name of this dessert was not mentioned in any Italian cookbooks until1960s, it is cited as a traditional dessert of the northern Italian region of Piedmont. Some people believe that it was invented by a Hungarian woman in the early 1900s.

In 2001, panna cotta was included in the list of Piedmont’s traditional food. In the 1990s, it became popular in the United States and it is well-known all around the world since then.

Gelatin in Panna Cotta

Gelatin is a granulated colorless and flavorless food ingredient. It is used for thickening in food and desserts. Depending on the place you live, the packaging of gelatin may be different. It may be sold in boxes containing two or more packets. Each packet usually contains 7 to 14g gelatin. To prepare gelatin, first, sprinkle the powdered gelatin in a bowl of cold water, let it stand for some minutes to become soft. In the meantime mix the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a pan while on the heat. When it is hot and the sugar is melted add the gelatin to the mixture and stir immediately until it is smooth. Gelatin is a must in making panna cotta, otherwise, it will not be set. It takes at least four hours for panna cotta to set however it depends on the sizes of your dishes, too.

To know more about Jelly D’s powdered gelatin, read this.

How to make panna cotta

• Pour the milk into a bowl, add the gelatin powder. Put aside the bowl.
• Mix the heavy cream and sugar in a pan. Then put the pan on medium oven heat. Wait until it boils. Caution! The cream may overflow quickly. Add the gelatin and milk to the cream and stir until it is dissolved. Stir repeatedly for one minute to be cooked. Then put the pan away from the heat.
• Let the uncovered small glass dishes be cooled at room temperature. When they are cool, cover them with plastic and place them in the fridge for at least four hours. It would be better to let them be in the fridge overnight before serving.

The good news is instead of preparing all these ingredients and spending this much time making this yummy dessert, you can use Draje’s pannacotta and enjoy the special and unique taste of it with family and friends.

Just dissolve Draje’s panna cotta powder in two glasses of cold milk (500 milliliters). Then put it on the heat and stir until it boils. Pour it into the molds you like and place them in the fridge for four hours to set. Remove the molds from the fridge and pour the strawberry sauce in the packet over the top of each before serving. Bon appetite.