Recipe: Triple Chocolate Panna Cotta (2024)

FAQs

Why doesn't my panna cotta set? ›

If your panna cotta refuses to set – try heating it up again (never boil it...) and adding a little bit of extra gelatin. Some fruits such as pineapple and kiwi contain enzymes that break down the protein in gelatin so it never sets. This problem can be solved by heating the fruit in question first.

The gelatin gets stronger as it sits, so this will be a bit rubbery by days 4 or 5, but you can mitigate this by letting the panna cotta sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving.

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Pudding and custard are thickened with egg yolks to give them their traditional appearance. Instead of egg yolks, panna cotta is hardened with gelatin, and egg yolks are not present within the recipe.

The reason for the gelatin is obvious — a perfect panna cotta should have just enough that it seems the cream is barely holding together. It quivers when you touch it. When there's too much gelatin, the custard feels stiff and cheesy. Too little and, well, you've got a puddle on the plate when you unmold it.

Cooling and whisking the base before dividing it into portions will keep the panna cotta from separating into layers of milk and cream.

If you find that your panna cotta separates into two layers, one that's creamy and one that's more gelatin-like — there can be two reasons. First, either your gelatin didn't bloom and dissolve properly when stirred into the cream. Second, the cream mixture boiled after the gelatin was added.

Food styling: Loïc Parisot. To turn out, dip each mould briefly in warm water for 10-15 seconds, making sure it doesn't touch the panna cotta, then use a small flexible knife or similar to pull the panna cotta away from the side in one place.

Tips for Making Vanilla Panna Cotta

Give it a final stir to distribute the seeds before pouring it into your ramekins or cups. This will help keep the vanilla seeds suspended in the panna cotta for a beautiful speckled look, whereas otherwise they would mostly sink to the bottom.

Translation of "Panna cotta" in French

Le panna cotta est un dessert classique fait à partir de crème.

What is another name for panna cotta? ›

Blancmange is sometimes thickened with gelatin or isinglass, and sometimes with cornstarch. Panna cotta is sometimes called a custard, but true custard is thickened with egg yolks, not gelatin. A lighter version substitutes cream with Greek yogurt.

Each of those desserts has the same goal: take lots of milk or cream, sweeten it and, through heat and a thickening agent, make it custardy. Flan and crème brûlée use eggs, panna cotta uses gelatin and vanilla pudding and similar custards use eggs, cornstarch or flour.

Although panna cotta is not mentioned in Italian cookbooks before 1960, it is often regarded as a traditional Italian dessert of the Piedmont region. According to one story the dessert was invented by a Hungarian woman who lived in Italy at the beginning of the 20th Century.

What is the difference between panna cotta and Bavarian cream? While both desserts are thickened with gelatin, panna cotta is made without egg. Bavarian cream on the other hand includes eggs as well as whipped cream which has been folded into the mixture before setting.

Might try to leave it out of the fridge for one hour to bring it up to room temperature. This will soften the panna cotta. If it's still to hard it would be possible to reheat it and add more cream + sugar and chill it again. Gelatine can be remelted.

Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Fill and chill the molds: Divide the panna cotta mixture between the ramekins. Transfer to the ramekins to the fridge and chill for at least 4 hours until set, or overnight.

Some ingredients in panna cotta can affect its ability to freeze and thaw successfully. Gelatin, for example, is commonly used to set the dessert. However, the freezing process can weaken the gelatin's ability to hold the dessert together, leading to a softer texture.