Chef's Notes
This creamy and luscious dessert made with milk, cream, sugar and vanilla is surprisingly light-tasting and is sure to become a dessert favorite.
This is a great dessert to make in advance for a dinner party. It can be stored up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Starting the Panna Cotta
To start the panna cotta, split the vanilla bean in half length-wise and scrape out the seeds.
Using a small pot, add the vanilla bean and seeds, along with the cream, salt and powdered sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over low heat.
While the cream heats up, pour the gelatin over the milk and mix well. Set aside.
Once the cream comes to a gentle boil, immediately turn off the heat. Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Add the gelatin mixture and whisk until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Step 1: Starting the Panna Cotta
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp gelatin powder (1 package)
- 1/8 cup milk
Finishing the Panna Cotta
Make sure the cream mixture has completely cooled before you continue.
In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream just to ensure it is smooth. Using another clean bowl, whip the remaining cream with a hand mixer (or whisk) until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently fold the sour cream into the whipped cream. Re-whisk the cooled gelatin, making sure it is also completely smooth; otherwise, you will end up with a lumpy panna cotta. Add the whipped cream mixture to the gelatin mixture, a bit at a time, folding gently.
To finish, ladle the panna cotta into ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator until completely set, approximately 2 hours. Serve with the Stone Fruit Compote (see next step).
Step 2: Finishing the Panna Cotta
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Making the Stone Fruit Compote
To start the compote, first remove the pits from the fruit. Cut the fruit into approximately 1/2" -inch slices.
Place the fruit into a medium, heavy-bottomed pot and turn the heat to medium. Add the water and sugar. Bring the fruit mixture to a boil, and then turn down the heat to low. Cover. Stir occasionally and taste the compote to see how sweet it is. Add additional sugar, if necessary.
Let the compote cook for approximately 10 minutes before removing from the heat. The juices will thicken and become more syrupy once the compote has cooled to room temperature.
Step 3: Making the Stone Fruit Compote
- 6 pieces stone fruit, such as plums and/or peaches
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/8 cup sugar
Assembling the Panna Cotta
To un-mold the panna cotta, cut around the edges of the dish using a small knife. Make sure to stay close to the edges. Slowly turn the panna cotta out onto a plate. Using the knife, gently nudge the panna cotta out, allowing air to naturally and easily release the panna cotta from the mold.
Garnish with the Stone Fruit Compote and a sprig of fresh mint. This colorful, rich and creamy dessert is also great served with fresh berry compote.