Mary Berry Panna Cotta
Panna cotta," when translated, means "cooked cream." This delectable dessert boasts a delicate, barely set texture, making it a perfect match for the vibrant flavors of tangy fruits or a delightful fruity coulis.
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 packet 11g / ¼ oz powdered gelatine
- 900 ml 1½ pints single cream
- 75 g 3 oz caster sugar
- rind of 1 orange finely grated
Instructions
- Grate the orange zest. Grate the zest finely. Leave a small amount of orange zest for later garnish.
- Soak gelatine. In a small container, measure out cold water and evenly sprinkle the gelatine over it. Set it aside to soak.
- Heat the cream, sugar & orange zest. In a saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, and the finely grated orange rind. Heat the mixture until it's scalding but not quite boiling, ensuring the sugar dissolves completely. Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Make the pannacotta. Add the soaked gelatine to the mixture and whisk until it dissolves completely, resulting in a smooth consistency. Pour this mixture into glasses or ramekins. Once it has cooled, cover the containers with clingfilm and allow the panna cotta to set in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or, ideally, overnight. If you'd prefer not to have bits of orange rind in the dessert, you can strain it before chilling.
- Garnish the panna cotta. Prior to serving, garnish the panna cotta with the reserved orange zest.
Notes
Preparing Ahead: You can make the panna cotta up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
Tip: If you'd rather, you can use leaf gelatine or vegetarian gelatine. The latter is derived from seaweed, with agar-agar serving as the setting agent. If you plan to unmold the panna cotta, use small metal pudding basins. Lightly grease the insides and place them upside down on kitchen paper to let any excess oil drain out. Follow the same steps as mentioned above. Just before serving, gently run your index finger along the sides of the mould and carefully turn out the panna cotta.
Vanilla pannacotta: If you'd like to create vanilla-flavoured panna cotta, substitute the orange zest with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Alternatively, you can prepare the panna cotta in a 1.2-litre (2-pint) glass serving dish. An excellent complement to orange panna cotta is a refreshing sliced orange fruit salad.