PANNA COTTA with winter fruit | Makes 6 individual custard cups
Panna Cotta is just a fancy name for cooked cream, served as a dessert inverted onto a plate and topped with a huge pile of very juicy berries and a whisper of kirsch. Because there’s no eggs or custard making involved, it possible to be creative with a basic recipe, as provided below. Make this recipe one or two hours before serving to properly chill.
We all know that fruit is at its best during the height of the season, yet somehow it seems logical to freeze extra pints of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Winter fruit is captured in frozen bags, and often loses shape when defrosted, which is why this recipe is ideal.
You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make this delicious this Panne Cotta, which is pure comfort food, and a really nice way to enjoy frozen winter fruit, whether it is frozen berries, or baked stone fruit, it’ll help to get through the long nights of winter with a little taste of summer.
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Panna Cotta with Winter Fruit
Ingredients
2 ½ cups organic heavy cream
1/2-cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise ( or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 packet powdered gelatin (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup frozen berries or mixed fruit, lightly crushed ( in summer use fresh fruit)
1/2 lemon, juiced and 1 tablespoon zest
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, slowly heat the cream and sugar, stirring with a whisk to dissolve the sugar, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream as well as the bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean then gently rewarm the mixture, careful not to boil, before continuing.
In a medium-sized bowl scatter the gelatin over the cold water and let stand 5 minutes. Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and with a wire whisk, whip until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Prepare 6 individual cup ramekins, and pour the Panna Cotta mixture into the cups, Transfer to the refrigerator and chill a minimum of one hour for soft, creamy finish and longer for firmer custard.
Fetch the berries from the freezer while the Panna Cotta is chilling. Defrost them naturally at room temperature in a bowl. When ready to serve, run a sharp knife around the edge of each ramekin, and unmold each onto a serving plate. Serve with a sprinkling of berries, tossed with lemon and zest.
