Recipe: Panna Cotta [edit]

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Edited by: Sheri Wetherell, Helen Pitlick, Barnaby Dorfman

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Wikipedia

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. An Italian expression which literally means "cooked cream", it generally refers to a creamy, set dessert from the Northern Italian region of Piemonte. It is eaten all over Italy where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce or fruit coulis. 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. Earlier recipes for the dish used boiled fish bones in place of gelatin; however, sugar, a main ingredient, would not have been widely available as it was an expensive imported commodity. After years this treat evolved into what is now a gelatin dessert, flavored with vanilla and topped with fruit or spices, and served chilled. Similar versions of this dish are also found in Greece and France.

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Tags: Dairy, Dessert, European, Gelatin, Italian, Milk

Yield: 8

[edit] Ingredients

2 ¾	ounces unflavored gelatin
2	tablespoons cold water
2	cups heavy cream
1	cup half and half
⅓	cup sugar
1 ½	teaspoons vanilla extract

[edit] Preparation

Step 1	Lightly oil the ramekins
Step 2	Sprinkle gelatin over the cold water and let stand for a minute to soften.
Step 3	Combine cream, half and half, and sugar in a 3 quart saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Step 4	Remove from heat
Step 5	Stir one cup of the cream mixture into the gelatin, then stir the cream and gelatin mixture back into the saucepan.
Step 6	Stir in vanilla
Step 7	Divide the cream mixture among the ramekins and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until the panna cotta is set (at least 4 hours)
Step 8	To remove from ramekins, dip one at a time into a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds, then run a thin flexible knife around the inside edge of the ramekin. Tilt it slightly so that the panna cotta pulls away from the sides.
Step 9	Invert ramekin onto a plate so that the panna cotta slips out.

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[edit] About Panna Cotta

Panna cotta means "cooked cream" in Italian. It's an eggless custard that is set with a bit of gelatin, then chilled.

This recipe was adapted from one found in The Gourmet Cookbook. Serve it with sliced fruit, berries, a little caramel sauce or chocolate sauce or alone with a crisp cookie.