I’m just gonna put it out there right now – Panna cotta is as easy as making jello. No, scratch that, it’s easier than making jello, as you don’t need boiling water. There’s no cooking involved. If you have a microwave and hands (and a bowl and gelatin and cream etc.) then you can do this. Why do recipes make this sound so complicated? Online, I found websites with paragraphs and paragraphs of explicit instructions on this laborious process that made me afraid.  And I paid $9 at a fancy restaurant for it once so I thought I needed to go through a laborious process of some kind. But now I realized I just got ripped off. Well, that was a relief!

Think of panna cotta as cream jello. Well, panna cotta actually means cooked cream. And unlike custards there are no eggs involved. It’s the gelatin that makes this solidify into a deliciously colloidy treat. The word colloid stuck in my head since middle school. I think it describes things between a solid and liquid….dork.

And about the large bright pink banner, I apologize to the male readers in advance.

Super Easy Panna cotta (makes 4 servings)

printable recipe

Prep time – 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream (or half and half)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 packet powdered gelatin
• 3 1/2 Tbsp. cold water

Directions:

1) In a medium sized bowl, pour gelatin packet into cold water. Let sit for approx. 10 minutes.

2) In another medium sized microwave-safe bowl, combine cream (or half and half) with sugar. Microwave until sugar is dissolved. DO NOT BOIL. I microwaved on high for 1:30 minutes, stirred, then put it back in for another 30 to 45 seconds. Microwave temperatures and times will vary, so watch carefully. Stir vanilla extract into cream.

3) Pour cream into bowl of gelatin, stirring until gelatin is fully dissolved. Grease custard cups (or in my case, small mugs) with mild olive oil, or spray with cooking oil. Pour panna cotta mixture evenly into cups. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

4) To serve, run a knife along the edge of the cups to loosen sides. Put cups in a few inches of warm water for 1-2 minutes. Then, using the plate you are serving it on, place the plate upside down on cup, and flip over.

 

Warm Peach Compote (adapted from epicurious.com)

Prep time – 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large ripe peaches, sliced with skin removed
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

1) In a medium sized saucepan, combine peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

 

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In a medium sized bowl, pour gelatin packet into cold water. Let sit for approx. 10 minutes.

In another medium sized microwave-safe bowl, combine cream (or half and half) with sugar. Microwave until sugar is dissolved. DO NOT BOIL. I microwaved on high for 1:30 minutes, stirred, then put it back in for another 30 to 45 seconds. Microwave temperatures and times will vary, so watch carefully. Stir vanilla extract into cream.

Pour cream into bowl of gelatin, stirring until gelatin is fully dissolved.

Grease custard cups (or in my case, small mugs) with mild olive oil, or spray with cooking oil. Pour panna cotta mixture evenly into cups. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Slice 4 large ripe peaches, removing the skin.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat until liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

To serve, run a knife along the edge of the cups to loosen sides. Put cups in a few inches of warm water for 1-2 minutes. Then, using the plate you are serving it on, place the plate upside down on cup, and flip over.

Mine didn’t come out looking absolutely beautiful….so I just covered it up with some peach compote. Shhh…no one will ever know…

 I might’ve overdone it with the heaping side of peach compote. It might be a little sweet for some of you, so taste it and judge for yourself. I would put less compote on it next time. But if I were to eat the compote with, say, vanilla bean ice cream…then I’d be generous with it. Wait, was that an ice cream challenge?