Monday, January 22, 2018

A Tasty and Easy Company Dessert For Holiday Recovery. Panna Cotta.

   
   This weekend I cooked the first real meal since I got sick on New Years day. Alans' cousin Joan came up from Berkeley for a visit and I prepared an easy old school Italian dinner. Lobster and saffron risotto, a blood orange salad with Sicilian olives, and for dessert, Vanilla Panna Cotta with a Raspberry Coulis, and some Pistachio Sea Salt Brittle.

   It has been a while since I've made Panna Cotta and so looking through my recipes, I decided to go with something from a friend. I've known Judy Witts Francini aka Divina Cucina for a few years and have always enjoyed cooking her recipes. She's a wonderful chef who happens to live in the same town as some of my Italian relatives, and a number of dishes I've gotten from her are now in my regular at home meal rotation. The Panna Cotta has just joined the list.
 
   I didn't get a chance to photograph the making of this dessert and I just have a leftover to show you as this stuff disappears fast once it's on the table. It's very simple to make so the instructions are as follows, I'm linking my pistachio brittle recipe here, and the raspberry coulis at the end, so here goes.


Vanilla Panna Cotta

Here's What You Need:
4 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp powdered unflavored gelatin
6 Tbs ice cold water


Here's What To Do:

Heat the heavy cream and sugar in a small pot. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour the very warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir well until the gelatin is completely dissolved and blended into the cream

Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into lightly oiled (with a flavorless neutral tasting oil) custard cups, or you might do as I did and pour them directly into a wine or dessert glass or cup avoiding unmolding. 

Chill them until firm, which will take at least two to four hours. 

When they are firm, unmold them or serve them straight up in the glass you've poured them into .


Raspberry Coulis

Here's What You Need:
One  6 oz carton of fresh raspberries
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 and 1/2 Tbs water


Here's What To Do: 

Place the water and sugar in a small pot over medium heat. Stir it from time to time, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes or so.

Put the raspberries and the sugar syrup in a blender and puree, or do as I did and use an immersion blender. Mix them together right int the pot.

Strain the raspberry puree  through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. You are good to go.

Drizzle some of the raspberry coulis over the  Panna Cotta, sprinkle a bit of finely chopped pistachio nut over it and then break off a piece of pistachio brittle and add it as a finishing touch.


  
   Easy and delicious, the perfect dessert for getting back to cooking again. Coming up next, more dishes for the season, follow along on Twitter @kathygori

3 comments :

  1. Yummy. And your food styling is pure artistry!

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is pure gorgeousness! love it you really captured this delicious dessert hope all is well.. think of you often!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fantastic! Looking yummy and delicious love your share.

    ReplyDelete

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