Panna cotta is an Italian milk dessert based on gelatin or agar-agar. It is tender, velvety and easy to prepare. Even inexperienced housewives can cook the perfect sweet panna cotta and amaze everyone with their skill.
Panna cotta is a very laconic yet versatile dessert. It only needs a few ingredients to make it: cream, gelatin, and flavorings. The perfect panna cotta is not too firm, but does not spread over the plate, it shakes slightly when you touch it, its sweetness and aroma are perfectly balanced. To prepare it, take 3 cups of cream with 20-25% fat, 3 teaspoons of granulated gelatin, 2 tablespoons of hot water, 1/3 cup of fine confectionery sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence and a pinch of salt. You will also need special molds - ramekins, a whisk, large and small bowls, ice, a saucepan and a knife with a thin blade.
Instead of heavy cream, you can use light milk, almond, coconut, or soy milk, but the less fat in the panna cotta, the softer it will be and the more gelatin you will need.
Lightly grease the frames with neutral vegetable oil, wiping off the excess with a paper towel and leaving only a light layer. Pour water into a small bowl and sprinkle with a thin layer of gelatin, stir it and let it dissolve slightly for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the cream, salt and sugar, stirring occasionally, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice and add the diluted gelatin and vanilla extract to the contents. Beat with a broom until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture has cooled.
Distribute the creamy gelatinous mass into the molds, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. If you keep the panna cotta in the cold for more than a day, its consistency will become much denser than you need.
10 minutes before serving, remove the dessert from the refrigerator, run a sharp thin knife along the edge of the mold, then dip it upside down in hot water, hold for a few seconds, and then turn the mold over onto a serving plate. The dessert should slide out of the ramequin easily. Serve the panna cotta garnished with fresh berries, mint leaves and powdered sugar.
Panna cotta can also be prepared in glasses and glass dessert bowls, serving directly in them. A two-layer panna cotta turns out to be spectacular and attractive in such dishes.
Vanilla is a classic but optional flavor for panna cotta. You can add some strong coffee, lemon, lime or orange zest, chocolate, puréed fruits or berries, almond extract to the dessert. An unusual dessert is obtained with the addition of crushed aromatic herbs, black or green tea.
If you want to surprise guests with a double-layer panna cotta, try making it in a wide clear glass. Prepare a dessert with half of the ingredients indicated and set it to set by tilting the vessel so that the surface of the panna cotta is at a 45 ° angle. After a few hours, cook the panna cotta from the remaining ingredients and tint the treat with some natural dye. Pour in the mixture by tilting the glass to the other side. When all the panna cotta has hardened, the dessert can be served. If you choose a glass with a rounded bottom, the frozen pankota will resemble a heart and will serve as a wonderful treat for Valentine's Day.
