Panna Cotta

(voor 't nederlands: ↓ scrollen)

I love panna cotta, it's such a wonderful dessert, topped with a fruit coulis or a sprinkling of amaretti. It's just that sometimes I find that the recipes for panna cotta just use too much gelatine. You shouldn't have to chew it, it has to melt in your mouth. So when you take it out of the form, it just holds its shape and is soft and creamy. I experimented a few times before it was too my liking and added a set fruit topping.

You can use whatever fruit you like. I just happened to have blue berries in my freezer (and love them!), so I used those. For the individual shapes you just have to cut larger fruit a little smaller. Remember fresh pineapple, kiwi, papaya and figs doesn't go with gelatine (it won't set), you'll have to make the sauce seperately, blanch the fruit or use canned.

Panna Cotta with blue berries
(serves 4-6)

(PRINT recipe)

60 g blue berries (fresh or frozen)
85 g water
30 g sugar
1 leaf gelatine

Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan and let come to a boil, stir until the sugar is dissolved and let it cool down a bit. Soak the gelatine in cold water for ± 3 minutes. Take the gelatine out and squeeze. Whisk it into the sugar water until dissolved. Stir in the berries and pour a 1-2 centimeter thick layer in the individual molds. (4 to 6 depending on size) Place in the fridge until set.

500 ml double cream
60 g icing sugar
vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
4 gelatine sheets (or just under 1 TBsp gelatine powder)

Place the cream, sugar, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds on the heat in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Take it of the heat and let it cool down slightly. Take out the vanilla pod. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water (if you use powdered gelatine, sprinkle it on 40 ml of cold water, let soak and stir). Whisk it into the cream thoroughly. Let is cool to room temperature and ladle it on top of the set berry layer. Fill the molds to the top and place back in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.

To unmold them, hold them in some warm water for about 20-30 seconds, place a plate on top and turn over. Sometimes you need to help a little by loosening the top rim with the tip of a knife. Enjoy!

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Panna Cotta

I love panna cotta, it's such a wonderful dessert, topped with a fruit coulis or a sprinkling of amaretti. It's just that sometimes I find that the recipes for panna cotta just use too much gelatine. You shouldn't have to chew it, it has to melt in your mouth. So when you take it out of the form, it just holds its shape and is soft and creamy.

I experimented a few times before it was too my liking and added a set fruit topping. You can use whatever fruit you like. I just happened to have blue berries in my freezer (and love them!), so I used those. For the individual shapes you just have to cut larger fruit a little smaller. Remember fresh pineapple, kiwi, papaya and figs doesn't go with gelatine (it won't set), you'll have to make the sauce seperately, blanch the fruit or use canned.

Panna Cotta met blauwe bessen
(4-6 pers.)

(recept PRINTEN)

60 g blauwe bessen of bosbessen (vers of diepvries)
85 g water
30 g suiker
1 blaadje gelatine

500 ml slagroom
60 g poedersuiker
vanille stokje, de zaadjes eruit geschraapt
4 blaadjes gelatine (of net iets minder dan 1 etl gelatinepoeder)

Breng het water en de suiker in een klein pannetje aan de kook en roer tot de suiker is opgelost en laat het wat afkoelen. Week de gelatine in koud water tot het zacht is, knijp het uit en klop het met een garde door het warme suikerwater. Roer de bessen erdoor en giet in elk vormpje (4 als ze iets groter zijn en 6 bij kleine vormpjes van ongeveer 1 dl) een bodempje van ongeveer 1-2 cm dik. Zet de vormpjes in de koelkast tot ze opgesteven zijn.

Doe de slagroom, suiker, vanillestokjes vanillezaadjes in een pan en breng het aan de kook. Neem het van het vuur en laat het wat afkoelen. Haal het vanillestokje eruit. Week de gelatine blaadjes in koud water. (als je poedergelatine gebruikt, strooi je dit op 30 ml koud water, laat het weken en klop het dan door de warme room) Klop het goed door de room en laat het afkoelen tot kamertemperatuur. Schep dan de vormpjes verder vol en laat ze in de koelkast opstijven (min. 2 uur).

Om de panna cotta uit de vormpjes te krijgen, houd je het vormpje kort in warm water, zet er een bordje op, keer het samen om. Soms moet je de bovenrand nog even losmaken met de punt van een mesje.

Buon appetito!