Introduction

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that consists of a sweet cream base thickened with gelatin. Panna cotta is rich, creamy, and smooth, and when paired with berries, as commonly done, the perfect balance between sweet and tart. It is a mildly flavored dessert, making it a great blank canvas for other flavors such as lemon, chocolate, saffron, and many more. Regardless of how you flavor your panna cotta, it is bound to be delicious.

Panna cotta is quite simple to make. The dessert itself is a combination of cream, milk, gelatin, and any other additives you choose to include. After the panna cotta has had a chance to set up in the fridge, the final result is a thick velvety custard.

Why the Vanilla Bean is Crucial

I really have never worked with vanilla beans until very recently. I don’t know if it was because of their hefty price or due to my personal belief that they would really make no difference in my desserts. However, my preconceived notions turned out to be very wrong. After using Madagascar vanilla beans in one of my desserts, I realized that their effect is very significant. They provide desserts with a sweet and slightly woody aroma and flavor. They also have a creamy essence, which adds to the overall richness of the dessert. Vanilla extract does many of the same things, but the overall vanilla aroma and flavor are truly amplified with the use of a real vanilla bean.

For a first-timer, it may be challenging to work with vanilla beans. When working with vanilla beans, you want to make sure that they are relatively soft. If they are not, it is very difficult to properly scrape out the seeds. In order to soften your beans, place them in a small bowl and cover them with hot water (not boiling). Let them sit in the hot water for at least 30 minutes, before using. By that point, they should be nice and soft. Now to extract the seeds, cut the vanilla beans in half (the long way). Then, run the back of a small knife through the entire bean to collect all of the seeds.

Image of how to extract seeds from a vanilla bean. https://www.sweetambs.com/. May 24, 2013. https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/quick-tip-vanilla-beans/

You commonly use vanilla beans for sweets, such as custards, syrups, and other liquid-based desserts. In this case, to extract the full vanilla flavor, use not only the scraped-out seeds but also the vanilla bean pods. When cooked in a liquid or custard base, the bean itself releases an abundance of vanilla flavor. By no means are vanilla beans a necessity, but if you can afford to purchase some, absolutely do so, because they really are worth it.

The Strawberry Sauce

When it comes to fruit sauces, syrups, or drinks if you have the opportunity to keep the ingredients all-natural, then you should. This strawberry sauce does just that. The only ingredients are strawberries, water, and powdered sugar, cooked down to a beautiful ruby red syrup. As the sauce cooks down and the water evaporates, the strawberry flavor concentrates, giving you a bright tart sauce, full of natural strawberry flavor. Its acidity and brightness make it the perfect complement to the panna cotta. In contrast to the sweetness and creaminess of the panna cotta, the strawberry sauce provides the refreshing element that keeps this dessert well balanced.

An Overall Showstopper

If you are thinking about what dessert you should make to impress the guests at your next dinner party, most definitely keep this panna cotta recipe in mind. The two distinct red and white layers garnished with a sprig of mint look so professionally made and upscale, when in reality it’s quite simple. Panna cotta looks great, tastes great, and impresses; what more can you ask from a dessert.