Panna cotta quickly became a popular restaurant dessert for many of the same reasons that make it an ideal dessert to serve at home: it can be prepared well in advance and it tastes good. It’s a win-win dessert if there ever was one. I used to refer to this as “ranch panna cotta” because it was inspired by a tangy buttermilk-based drink that I had at a south-of-the-border spa. But because people said that moniker brought to mind ranch salad dressing, I decided to keep the name simple and straightforward—just like the dessert.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Lightly grease four 4- to 6-ounce (125- to 180-ml) ramekins or custard cups with unflavored vegetable oil.
Step 2
In a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon sticks, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once warm, remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.
Step 3
Pour the water into a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soften and swell for 5 minutes. Set a mesh strainer across the bowl.
Step 4
Reheat the half-and-half until it’s quite warm, but not hot, and pour it through the strainer over the softened gelatin. Stir the mixture until the gelatin completely dissolves. Let the mixture cool slightly, then stir in the buttermilk. (If the half-and-half mixture is too hot, the buttermilk may separate when it’s added. If it does, whisk vigorously and it will become smooth.)
Step 5
Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
Step 6
To unmold, run a sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the panna cotta, invert a serving plate over the ramekin, and turn them over together. Shake a few times to release the panna cotta, then lift off the ramekin.
Step 7
Spoon the blueberry compote over and around the panna cotta.
Storage
Step 8
The panna cotta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Variation
Step 9
Instead of serving with blueberry compote, toss any mixture of fresh berries with some sugar and crème de cassis, let them sit for a while to soften, then spoon them over and around the panna cotta.
tip
Step 10
If you’re in a hurry, after adding the buttermilk, set the bowl over an ice bath and stir to hasten the cooling, then pour the mixture into chilled ramekins so the panna cotta firms up faster. Or, you can pour the mixture into wine glasses, chill them, and serve the panna cotta in the glasses. Even if the panna cotta are not fully set by serving time, they’ll be spoonable, and very elegant. This recipe can easily be doubled.
