Rosewater and Vanilla Pannacottas - Two Separate Variations of Recipe

Italian Pannacotta is incredibly simple to make. It’s a one pan dessert made in a matter of minutes. I have given you two options here, a rich vanilla pannacotta or by just adding two ingredients to the vanilla pannacotta, you can turn this dessert into a decadent, exotic, pink rosewater pannacotta.

You can choose to put it in a mold or choose to serve it from a ramekin. Obviously just pouring it into a ramekin is the easiest way to do it and you can dress it up with berries, mint, caramel, raspberry syrup or maybe just a drizzle of honey.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 3 minutes

Refrigeration time: 4-5 hours

Serves 4 in small 3 1/2 inch ramekins or makes 3 in a larger mold like the Tescoma which are the molds I used here. For larger ramekins double the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Pannacotta:

¾ cup heavy cream

1 ¼ cup whole milk

2 1/2 Tbs sugar

2 ½ tsp of powdered gelatin (I use Knox and 2 ½ teaspoons is almost exactly one individual pack in their box of 4 packages)

4 Tbs cold water

1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ of a vanilla bean with the seeds scraped out

For the Rosewater Pannacotta:

Add the following to the vanilla pannacotta recipe:

1/2 to ¾ teaspoon of rosewater, depending on your taste (available at Middle Eastern grocery stores and upscale markets)

A small drop of red or pink food coloring

Mold available online. Rosewater at Middle Eastern grocery stores and upscale stores such as whole foods.

Possible Garnishing Ideas:

strawberries

raspberries

blackberries

small pastel chocolates

colorful candies

mint

raspberry coulis

honey

dulce de leche for vanilla (not suggested for rosewater)

Directions for the Vanilla Pannacotta:

Pour the milk and cream into a small saucepan, add the sugar. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, put 4 Tbs of cold water into a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over it. Let it bloom (expand). Do not wait too long to add to the mixture on stove as it will get too hard to stir in. When the pan comes to a simmer and the sugar is mixed in well, you can add your vanilla. If you are using a vanilla bean, then slice it in half longwise and scrape the seeds into the pan at this time, or if using vanilla extract, add it at this time. Let simmer 2 more minutes, then add the gelatin/water mixture. Make sure the gelatin is stirred in well with no lumps. Let simmer 1 more minute.

For the Rosewater Pannacotta:

Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of the rosewater and a very tiny amount of food coloring until the desired color is reached. I would suggest to taste the liquid after adding the 1/2 tsp of rosewater, adjust to your liking. I prefer 3/4 tsp, but not everyone does. Rosewater is very popular in Mediterranean cooking, Moroccan food as well as Middle Eastern Food.

Molds or Ramekins:

If you are using ramekins, you do not need to grease the molds if you are serving the dessert in the ramekin. Just pour the mixture into a ramekin. It’s done. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

If you are using a mold, make sure to grease the mold with a neutral oil or coconut oil because it goes well with the flavors. Refrigerate 4-5 hours. To remove the dessert from the mold, run a knife around the outer edge at the top being careful not to cut into your pannacotta and disturb the shape. Alternatively, you can fill a small pan or bowl with hot water, hold the mold in the water to the top, being careful to not get any water into the mold. Either way, you might need to place it in hot water anyway to remove it from the mold. This should only take 10 seconds at most. If you hold it in the water for too long, your dessert will melt. Invert onto serving platter.