Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert prepared with cream and sugar. It is usually molded with gelatin, but I am using Agar Agar for setting the pannacotta. In Italian, it means cooked cream. This pannacotta is cold dessert perfect for this summer. There is similar dessert prepared in another cuisine hence I am explicitly using the title Italian Panna Cotta. Can you guess what the other one is? Somehow the pannacotta reminds of the seempaal or the cow’s first milk after delivery. Both differ a lot in taste, but every time I prepare this, it takes me back to the childhood days. You can make this dessert ahead of time as a single-serving dessert. But this time I made it like a cake in a vessel that has the shape of a heart. For my jigarthanda recipe, I used agar agar strands. But for this, I am using the agar agar powder. Agar Agar is the vegetarian version of the gelatin from Algae. It is also famous as the China Grass and can be a great thickening agent.
For this recipe, I used heavy cream, regular 2% milk and sugar and condensed milk for sweetening it up and of course Vanilla for the flavor. This method is super simple. We just need to warm the milk till the agar agar and sugar dissolves and then let it set. It’s as simple as that. I used colored sugar for decorating it later and made it like a mini cake. :-) When you can’t bake a cake, here is the perfect alternative. Please see notes below for other options.
Italian Vanilla Flavored Panna Cotta With Agar Agar Recipe
Ingredients:
Heavy Cream – 1.5 cups 2% milk – 1.5 cups Agar Agar Powder – 1.5 tsps Sugar – 2 tbsps Condensed Milk – 3 to 4 tbsps Vanilla Extract – 2 tbsps Fruit / Colored Sugar / Confettis for decorating.
Steps:
Mix milk and sugar and heat it low flame. Once sugar dissolves complete, add the agar agar powder and make sure it mixes well.
Keep stirring the mixture either using a spoon or with a metal whisker. Now add the heavy cream, vanilla, and condensed milk. Keep stirring in low flame and let all the milk incorporate. (We don’t need to bring it to a boil, once all ingredients combines well turn off the heat)
Turn off the heat and add this mixture to your favorite mold or individual serving cups.
Before refrigerating, break the air pops and let it sit in the fridge till the panna cotta sets.
After it sets, run the knife slowly around the edges of the mold to take it out. Decorate using fruits or colored sugar or confetti.
That’s it. Yummy dessert is ready.
Notes:
If you are using strands, you can use 4 to 5 strands. Soak in water before adding it to milk. Agar agar powder can be first dissolved in water and can be mixed with milk. But as I used 2% milk, I directly added it to it. Instead of 2% milk, you can also use whole milk. Adjust sugar and the condensed milk according to your preference. You may use either one. Before removing the pannacotta from the mold let it sit for some time for about 15 to 20 minutes and then wet the knife and run around the edges. You may add other flavors or essence to your taste.
Will be posting the other cuisine’s fruit-based recipe soon, so I will explain about that in the upcoming post. :-)
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📖 Recipe
