The Italian’s have got so much right when it comes to food. The simplicity in most Italian dishes which allows the lovely ingredients to shine is why I just can’t get enough of the cuisine. This dessert recipe is no exception- sounds fancy I know “Panna Cotta with Balsamic…”. Not to worry, if you spend more than 10 minutes in prepping these ingredients you’re doing something wrong. You just combine, heat, chill and serve. Then dress it up however you’d like, or enjoy the simple vanilla custard as-is.
We used my Lavender Balsamic vinegar that I purchased in Santa Fe to make the reduction. This balsamic has such deep floral fruity flavor it probably didn’t even need the extra berries or sugar. But I encourage you all to find one that you like and sweeten to your taste. There is a great new shop off of Lovers Ln in Dallas where you can sample all sorts of balsamics and olive oils and I have spotted one lavender balsamic there which might be similar to mine from Oleaceae.
Panna Cotta with Raspberry Balsamic Reduction
Panna Cotta
4 cups heavy cream (or half-and-half)
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 packets powdered gelatin
6 tablespoons cold water
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a medium-sized bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Slowly heat the heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan or microwave (do not let it boil!). Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla bean seeds or extract. (If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the pod into the cream and add the whole bean pod. Cover, and let infuse for a few minutes minutes. Then remove the bean pod and continue.)
Lightly oil eight custard cups with a neutral-tasting oil.
Pour the warm Panna Cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Divide the Panna Cotta mixture into the prepared cups, then chill them until firm, which will take at least three hours.
To unmold, it helps to set the custard cups in a shallow bath of warm water for a minute (careful not to let any water run inside the dish on to the custard), then run a sharp knife around the edge of each Panna Cotta and unmold onto a serving plate.
Garnish as desired. We absolutely loved the raspberry balsamic!
Raspberry Balsamic
1 pint of raspberries
3-4 tbs of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste depending on how sweet your berries/ balsamic)
Heat the berries, balsamic and sugar over medium-low in a saucepan. Let the mixture reduce down for about 10-15 minutes then remove form heat and press through a strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and let it cool while you prep your panna cotta to serve.
