Italian Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is the most popular dessert belonged to Italy. It is actually a molded chilled sweet dish and  is easy to make. Its appearance and taste is wonderful with ripe red fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, or sweet cherries. Enjoy !

Ingredients:

For the panna cotta

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 oz sugar
• 4 gelatin sheets
• ½ stick vanilla

For caramel

• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

Soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, butterfly the vanilla bean using a pairing knife. Use the blade of the knife to remove the seeds.

Place the cream, sugar and vanilla seeds in a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring with a whisk.
After the cream has come to a boil, leave it on the heat for 2 or 3 seconds, then remove from the heat and add the gelatin sheets, drained and squeezed. Stir to allow the gelatin to melt into the cream.

Pour the mixture into small panna cotta molds. If you prefer, you can first transfer the mixture into a pitcher to make the process easier. Then, place the molds in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Just before serving, prepare the caramel:

Pour the sugar and 1 tbsp water in a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Bring to a boil, but do not stir. Once the caramel has browned to the desired color, add the remaining tbsp of water. Let boil for a minute, shaking the saucepan so that the caramel mixes together well and takes on a nice, creamy consistency.

Remove the panna cotta from the fridge and demold it by placing the molds in a pot of hot water for a second. Remove the panna cotta from the mold and place on a plate.

Garnish the panna cotta with the caramel or ripe fruits and serve immediately.