Need help making Panna Cotta!

[henryrobbins]

I've tried making Panna Cotta using two different recipes and neither of them turned out how I expected.
I dont know I'm doing something wrong, or if its just the recipes I'm using.

The first time I tried it I used the recipe from The Silver Spoon cookbook and it involved:
- Soaking 10 gr of gelatine leaves in water, draining them.
- Heating 100 ml of milk to just below the simmering point and adding the gelatine leaves the that until dissolved.
- Heating 500 ml, 100 gm of caster sugar and 1 vanilla pod (i used vanilla paste), bringing to the boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat
- Stir in the milk mixture
- Fill ramekins and chill.

This recipe resulted in a really thick, stiff, gluggy panna cotta.

So I tried a different recipe.
This one involved:
- Sprinkling 3.5 teaspoons of gelatin over a bowl filled with 1/4 cup of water and leave for 5 minutes.
- Place the 3 1/4 cups of single/pouring cream, 3/4 cup of icing sugar, 1 vanilla bean (used vanilla paste) into saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add the gelatine mixture and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Pour into ramekins.

This time it was less gluggy and stiff but still not like the delicate panna cottas i've tried in restaurants.

Does anyone know why this is happening? The spoon should cut through fairly gently shouldn't it? It should be more delicate, like a creme brulee shouldn't it?

Any tips would be appreciated.

[m brown]

try the first one again with one less gel leaf.

[henryrobbins]

Thanks,
I'll give that a whirl and see how it goes....
Hopefully this time the result wont make me want to gag, lol.

[even stephen]

try this recipe:

1 quart heavy cream
1 cup milk
7 gelatin leaves
6 oz sugar
1/4 cup rum
1 vanilla bean
2 lemons zested...only the zest

bring 2/3's of the cream and milk to a scald with the sugar....remove from the heat.....add all other ingredients...make sure and soak your gelatin leaves until soft before adding them....whip the remaining 1/3 cup of cream to soft peaks....strain the milk and cream mixture through a chinois....as the mixture begins to cool....gently whip the beaten cream into the mixture....pour into molds....chill....I like to add a little lightly caramelized sugar into the bottem of my molds...not as dark as creme caramel or flan....just a light amber...good luck...oh! gelatin leave are gold

[MadBakerWoman]

OP, did you try any of the above recipes?

i have a recipe for a coffee panna cotta that i made just once, it was my first panna cotta, and it turned out pretty awesome. it's a really easy recipe.

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp instant espresso granules, dissolved in 4 tbsp water
2 tsp powdered gelatin

chocolate sauce
2/3 cup light cream
2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

chocolate covered coffee beans to serve

lightly brush 6 custard cups with oil. place the cream in a pan. add vanilla and sugar, heat gently until almost boiling. remove from heat and set aside. place the coffee in a small heat-proof bowl, sprinkle the gelatin in and let stand for 5 minutes, or until spongy. set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until the gelatin has dissolved.

stir a little of the reserved cream into the gelatin mixture, then stir the gelatin mixture into the remainder of the cream. divide the mixture between the prepared molds and let cool, then chill in the refrigerator for 8 hrs or overnight.

to make the sauce, place a quarter of the cream in a bowl and stir in the melted chocolate. gradually stir in the remaining cream. to serve, dip the bas of the molds briefly into hot water and turn out onto dessert plates. pour the chocolate over each cream round. decorate with coffee beans and serve.