Panna Cotta Cups
Silky vanilla cream set with just enough gelatine to wobble, served with a sharp berry syrup.
Panna cotta lives or dies on the gelatine ratio. Too much and it is rubbery, too little and it never sets. This ratio gives a set that barely holds, so the spoon goes through with no resistance and it melts on the tongue.
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How to make Panna Cotta Cups
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
Panna cotta
Berry syrup
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Fine sieve
- 6 ramekins or glasses
Method
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1
Bloom the gelatine
Soak the leaf gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes until floppy, then squeeze out the excess. For powdered gelatine, sprinkle it over 3 tablespoons cold water and leave 5 minutes until spongy.
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2
Infuse the cream
Warm the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a saucepan over medium-low, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring it to steaming, never to a boil.
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3
Dissolve the gelatine
Take the pan off the heat, add the bloomed gelatine and whisk for 30 seconds until fully dissolved. Rub a little between your fingers to check for grains.
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4
Strain and pour
Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, which catches the vanilla pod and any undissolved gelatine, then pour into six cups.
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5
Chill properly
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Rushing this gives you a soft centre.
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6
Make the syrup
Simmer the berries, sugar, lemon juice and water for 5-6 minutes until the fruit collapses and the syrup coats a spoon. Cool completely, then spoon over each set panna cotta.
Cook’s tips
- Never boil the cream after the gelatine goes in. Boiling weakens gelatine and the panna cotta will not set.
- Strain the mixture. It takes ten seconds and guarantees a flawless texture.
- If unmoulding onto plates, use 4 gelatine sheets instead of 3 so it holds its shape.
Variations
- Infuse the cream with coffee beans, earl grey, cardamom or a strip of orange peel.
- Make it dairy-free with full-fat coconut milk and agar agar, following the agar package ratio.
- Layer with lemon curd or a thin chocolate ganache poured over the set cream.
Storage and make-ahead
Keeps 4 days covered in the fridge and is designed to be made ahead. Do not freeze it; gelatine sets weep badly on thawing.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 368 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
| Sugar | 26 g |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
