Eggnog Panna Cotta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my panna cotta rubbery? ›

The gelatin gets stronger as it sits, so this will be a bit rubbery by days 4 or 5, but you can mitigate this by letting the panna cotta sit at room temperature for about half an hour before serving.

Today panna cotta is almost invariably made with gelatin, which gives it a smooth mouthfeel and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. But you can create a wide spectrum of taste and richness depending on the type of dairy used.

Panna Cotta actually comes from Italy, and much like flan, it is also a custard that stands up. However, the core difference here comes from the base ingredient. Panna cotta does not use eggs, it is a gelatin-based custard, which is what gives it structure and allows it to stand.

Cover each panna cotta with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until it's set; the time will vary depending on the size and shape of your containers, but expect four to six hours. Meanwhile, prepare a topping of some sort.

A perfect panna cotta only has JUST ENOUGH gelatin to hold the cream mixture together. This means that the texture is really jiggly. Too much gelatin and the panna cotta has more of a jello-like consistency. Too little gelatin and the panna cotta won't set properly and you got a recipe for disaster in your hands.

Panna cotta should also be creamy but also not too rich, I think, so I like to use a mixture of half milk, half cream, which gives a delightfully creamy texture but is not over the top rich.

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Did you know that…? Panna cotta is probably the only dessert which can be made without eggs, flour, sugar and baking.

Goreng and Baharat's plan to deliver a message, through the untouched panna cotta, is to communicate the fact that the tyrannical structure has not broken the human spirit.

Panna cotta is sometimes called a custard, but true custard is thickened with egg yolks, not gelatin. A lighter version substitutes cream with Greek yogurt.

What is the difference between egg custard and panna cotta? ›

There's one main distinction that makes the two desserts so different, and it has to do with their makeup. Pudding and custard are thickened with egg yolks to give them their traditional appearance. Instead of egg yolks, panna cotta is hardened with gelatin, and egg yolks are not present within the recipe.

The difference between crème brûlée and flan (two of our favorite kinds of custard) lies in four factors: the ratio of ingredients, the manner in which the custard is thickened, the method of cooking, and any additional components. Those extra components—different toppings and presentation—are easiest to see.

Underhydrated gelatin will be stubbornly gritty, never dissolving, and negatively impact the final set. As with all gelatin desserts, this will become firmer the longer it sits, so eat your panna cotta within 24 hours for the most delicate, elegant texture.

If you find that your panna cotta separates into two layers, one that's creamy and one that's more gelatin-like — there can be two reasons. First, either your gelatin didn't bloom and dissolve properly when stirred into the cream. Second, the cream mixture boiled after the gelatin was added.

The jiggle:

The reason for the gelatin is obvious — a perfect panna cotta should have just enough that it seems the cream is barely holding together. It quivers when you touch it.

If your panna cotta hasn't set, it's not that there is too much liquid in the recipe. It is because you haven't cooked your panna cotta mixture for long enough. I find around the 20 minute mark is a good length of time to cook the mixture on low. This seems to be sufficient time to allow the agar agar to gel.

If the panna cotta refuses to let go, try quickly dipping the mold in hot water and trying again. One trick is to brush a very thin layer of flavorless oil on the inside of each mold before pouring in the mixture. If the panna cotta absolutely won't come out, get a spoon and enjoy it straight from the dish...

Might try to leave it out of the fridge for one hour to bring it up to room temperature. This will soften the panna cotta. If it's still to hard it would be possible to reheat it and add more cream + sugar and chill it again. Gelatine can be remelted.

One potential problem is the gelatin didn't melt all the way or you boiled the gelatin mixture. When you boil gelatin, it loses its thickening power and won't set up as desired. The other issue is not giving the panna cotta enough time to set up.