Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is an Italian classic, an elegant make-ahead dessert for any special occasion. It’s made with cream, milk and thickened with gelatine. A good panna cotta is one that is just set and wickless when served.
Ingredients (makes 4-5):
4 gelatine leaves
Vegetable oil spray (for the moulds)
425ml / ¾ pints double cream
150ml / ¼ pint whole milk
60g / 2½ oz caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, slit lengthways
To serve:
Strawberry or raspberry compote or Greek Glyka (fruit preserved in syrup)
Method:
Soak the gelatine in cold water to soften.
Lightly spray six 6-ounce ramekins with oil. (Skip this step if you are planning to serve straight from the dishes.)
Place cream, milk, sugar and vanilla and bring to a simmer; do not boil. Remove vanilla pot, scrape the seeds into the hot cream and discard the pot.
Squeeze the water out of the gelatine and add to the cream, whisk and remove from the heat.
Pour the cream into a measuring jar and fill the dariole moulds or ramekins, allow to cool, stir to distribute the vanilla seeds and cover with cling film. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet for easy transfer and put in the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, loosen the Panna Cotta around the brims, dip the moulds in a bowl of warm water for a second or two and turn them out carefully onto a serving plate.
Serve with berries, sliced fruit, glyka or shaved chocolate.