A classic Italian dessert made with a twist. Sweet and creamy, slightly sour and packed with fresh cherry flavours, a treat hard to resist. Panna cotta is great to make a day ahead and place in the refrigerator to serve when your guests arrive.
This recipe is super easy to make and serves 4-6 people.
For the Panna cotta you need:
500 ml of full-fat cream or whip cream
50 ml white granulated sugar
3 gelatin sheets, about 6 grams
1 vanilla bean pod
Lemon zest for garnish
For the cherry jam you need:
400 grams of fresh cherries
2 teaspoons of water
1 teaspoon of potato starch
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
If the cherries are very sour, add 1/2 teaspoon of white granulated sugar
How you make the Panna cotta:
Add the cream and sugar to a pot and place over medium heat on the stove.
Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla pod and the vanilla seeds to the pot with the cream.
Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until they soften. When soft, squeeze out as much of the water as possible.
When the cream mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and whisk in the gelatine. keep whisking until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Pour the Panna cotta into 4 or 6 glasses and place in the fridge to harden for 4-6 hours or overnight.
How you make the cherry jam:
Clean the cherries, cut them in halves and remove the stones and add the cherries to a dry pot.
Place the pot on medium heat on the stove and cover with a lid to slowly let the cherries break down. Stire the pot once in a while.
When the cherries have started to break down, add the lemon juice and if needed the sugar.
Mix 1 teaspoon of potato starch with 2 teaspoons of water and add it little by little to the cherry mixture until you achieved the desired consistency of jam.
Let the cherry jam completely cool before adding it to the Panna cotta.
Serve the Panna cotta cold, topped with plenty of cherry jam and garnished with lemon zest.
