Panna Cotta - A versatile dessert

"Panna cotta" - an Italian "cooked cream" custard. Cooked cream doesn't sound exciting and delicious, does it? But it tastes great!

It is so ridiculously easy to make and everything can be done in advance. Bring cream, sugar and vanilla bean to the boil, remove from heat, add gelatin and then cool. An egg-less dessert to impress your guests with minimal effort. This thick custard, can be served with just about anything.

I can see thousands of combinations. The imagination is the only limitation! Last year I made a Baileys scented panna cotta for a party. It was divine but very expensive.

A true chocolate lover's delight can be a chocolate panna cotta. It's inexpensive to make compared to a dessert made with liqueur. Unfortunately vanilla beans tend to be awfully expensive. Buying whole vanilla beans online is an option. I would very much like to have up-to-date info about your experience with online vanilla beans retailers.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4

* 3 unflavored gelatin leaves
* 5 dl/500 ml cream
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
* 50 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces

METHOD:
1. Soak the gelatin in cold water about 5 minutes.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler
3. In a saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, chocolate and vanilla.
4. Bring to a boil, then remove the saucepan from heat.
5. Squeeze gelatin of water and stir into custard until dissolved.
6. Remove the vanilla beans.
7. Pour the mixture into 4 small cups.
8. Let cool, then refrigerate a couple of hours, or overnight.

Once set, panna cotta is turned onto a plate. Dip the cups in hot water. Run a sharp knife around the edges and invert each panna cotta onto dessert plates and garnish.

It's a challenge getting panna cotta out of cups made of glass. When you put cold glass into hot water it cracks. Don't bother, just serve panna cotta in their cups and pour strawberry compote over. If not a strawberry compote, consider raspberry or any other lightly sweetened berries. Shave chocolate curls onto the top of the panna cottas.

Using leaf gelatin results in a smooth consistency. I don't like to use gelatin powder because the final result is just not the same. However, vegetarians have to use agar-agar as a substitute because gelatin is not a vegetarian product. The setting properties of agar-agar are stronger. Less of it is required.

Panna cotta is normally made with cream containing a high amount of butterfat. If you want a lighter dessert, use low-fat variants of cream and serve small portions.