Name: Italian Panna Cotta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: إيطالية
Ingredients: 2.5 cups heavy cream; 1/2 cup whole milk; 1/2 cup white sugar; 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract); 2.5 tsp powdered gelatin (or 3 gelatin sheets); 3 tbsp cold water (to bloom the powdered gelatin); For the sauce: 2 cups strawberries or mixed berries, 3 tbsp sugar, juice of half a lemon

An elegant dessert from Northern Italy made of cream gently cooked with vanilla and gelatin until it sets with a silky, wobbly texture, served with a bright berry sauce.

المقادير

2.5 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup white sugar

1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

2.5 tsp powdered gelatin (or 3 gelatin sheets)

3 tbsp cold water (to bloom the powdered gelatin)

For the sauce: 2 cups strawberries or mixed berries, 3 tbsp sugar, juice of half a lemon

خطوات التحضير

Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water and let it bloom for 5-10 minutes until swollen (or soak the gelatin sheets in cold water).

Place the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan, split the vanilla bean and add its seeds and pod.

Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture begins to steam lightly without boiling.

Remove from heat and discard the vanilla pod.

Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream and stir well until fully dissolved.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to ensure a smooth texture.

Pour the mixture into individual molds or serving glasses, and let it cool slightly at room temperature.

Cover the molds and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until fully set.

For the sauce, cook the berries with the sugar and lemon juice over gentle heat for 8-10 minutes until slightly thickened, then blend or leave chunky as preferred.

To unmold the panna cotta, dip the base of each mold in warm water for a few seconds, then invert onto a serving plate and top with the berry sauce.

نصيحة

Do not add more gelatin than needed — the goal of panna cotta is a delicate wobble, not a firm jelly-like texture. It can be served directly in glass cups without unmolding to avoid any risk of it not releasing cleanly.

Panna cotta literally means «cooked cream» in Italian, a traditional dessert from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. Despite its simple base of cream, sugar and gelatin, this dessert has gained worldwide fame thanks to its unique texture, sitting on the fine line between a firm custard and a light mousse.

The secret to great panna cotta lies in the precise gelatin ratio; too little gives it a delicate, silky wobble that melts in the mouth without becoming as firm as ordinary jelly. The cream is poured into individual molds and left to set in the refrigerator, then turned out onto a serving plate and topped with a red berry sauce that adds a refreshing tang to balance the cream's richness.