Panna Cotta- How to make this Italian dessert at home

Desserts are the real temptations. Having a dessert/ sweet after a meal has now been traditionally and culturally appreciated and acceptable. Psychologically we crave sweet taste after savory to balance it out. In old times fresh fruit salad, puddings, chocolates, yogurt with honey, and baked apples were used as desserts. Panna cotta is one of the very popular desserts of Italian cuisine. This cream is aromatize with vanilla/ coffee etc and served with berries and other flavors. In Italy, various colored cupcakes are known as Biscotti, a sweet bread known as panforte, and patisseries such as Martorana fruit are unique in the markets.

There are different flavors of panna cotta such as- 

1. Chocolate panna cotta – This is served with dark chocolate or milk chocolate. A layer of thickened custard cream and a layer of chocolate over it.
2. Panna cotta with mint– To the cream mint extract is added and it is served with chocolate sauce.
3. Coffee panna cotta – flavors with espresso or instant coffee. Add the coffee flavour to the cream, and then serve.
4. Lemon panna cotta – lemon zest and juice for fresh summers. Add the lemon juice/ extract while preparing the cream. It is quite refreshing and flavourful.

How to make Panna Cotta?

Ingredient –

1. Fresh heavy whipped cream
2. Sugar
3. Vanilla
4. Agar powder
5. Gelatin sheets
6. Water
7. Raspberry
8. Lemon juice

Recipe of Panna Cotta –

Preparation of the desert –

1. Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5-10 for softening.
2. Take a saucepan and add whipped cream to it.
3. To this add vanilla extract or vanilla beans. Cut the beans and remove their seeds before the addition.
4. Cook on low flame with gentle stirring for 5-10 min. Avoid boiling.
5. Remove the pan from the heat source and remove vanilla beans if used.
6. Take the cream in a bowl. Strain the gelatin sheets. Add them to whipped cream and whisk until total dissolution.
7. Add the dessert to a glass and refrigerate for 5-6hr.
8. Serve it with fruit sauce, chocolate sauce, or caramel sauce.

Preparation of Raspberry smooth sauce-

1. Take raspberry and sugar and blend them well.
2. Stain the mixture.
3. Add it to a pan under low flame and cook for 5 min for the sugar to melt completely. Add lemon squeeze to it.
4. Refrigerator it.
5. Serve it with the dessert and add some whole raspberries too 

Storage –

You can store Panna cotta in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after preparation.

Cover it with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.

Panna cotta is a good dessert for summer, and serve this frozen dessert served with fruit salad and sauces. This makes it a light easy-go dish.

The custardy cream with gelatin gives it a unique texture than other desserts.

The fruits present in it helps to keep you fresh and healthy.

This Italian dessert is a must-try. This is a good mood booster.

It is said that when we have desserts it energizes us. This is basically due to a rise in sugar/ glucose. It also gives us pleasure because desserts help to release dopamine which gives us a feeling of pleasure and fulfillment.

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