Mango Panna Cotta

If you are ever in doubt of what dessert to make for a party or for random mid-week indulgence, go for a Panna Cotta. It’s the easiest thing that one can pull off with absolutely minimal effort. Every time I make something as simple as a panna cotta, I wonder why don’t I make it more often! I made Mango Panna Cotta last week. It was absolutely luscious, velvety and so smooth to the palate.

Of late, I don’t make as much dessert as I used to because we are just trying to cut down on our sweet consumption. So, whenever the sweet craving hits, we just go for something store bought where we have the option to pick just a few. Three doughnuts or three muffins or mini low calorie kulfi from Costco. You get the point! I was hoping that Avyan would reach a phase where he could hog on desserts. And that would give me enough opportunity to make some more. But, as it turns out, he prefers to nibble and then next day, he announces that he doesn’t like it any more. As a result, we adults end up savaging and regretting on our gluttony act.

Last weekend, I really wanted something sweet. But something that I could make in small portions. Panna Cotta was my answer and since I had half a can of mango puree, I decided to just use that and top it with fresh mango bites. The Panna Cotta looked so pretty and tasted so good that I couldn’t even wait for the boys to come home. Taste it for the first time. I totally indulged on it all by myself.

What is Panna Cotta?

It’s an Italian dessert and it means ‘cooked cream’.

It requires very basic ingredients, like whole cream, a sweetening agent like sugar or honey and gelatin to thicken the cream for it to hold its shape. Once you get those three things in place, you can then play around with the ingredients to make it as per your taste buds. It takes about 3 to 4 hours for panna cotta to set but it will definitely depend on the quantity that you are trying to set.

I used 9 oz glasses and it took about 3 hours to set the first layer and another 3 hours for the second layer. Make sure you have enough room in your refrigerator before you start making the panna cotta.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute gelatin with agar-agar or vegan jel. Here’s an useful article that might be helpful for you to understand the substitute and how much to use.

How to get the diagonal presentation?

There are several ways to do it but the most comfortable way is to place the glass slightly tilted on muffin pans. If you don’t have a muffin pan, layer a thick cloth (kitchen towel) on a refrigerator rack. You need to layer the cloth big enough to hold the tip of the glasses and a rolling pin. Carefully place the glasses on the cloth and tilt it to balance the edge on the rolling pin. Pour the prepared cream carefully and the diagonal presentation will be formed. Once the first layer is set, you can pour the second layer keeping the glass straight up.

This Mango Panna Cotta recipe will make you very happy and it's a perfect easy dessert to make any time and for any occasion.

Now, before the mango season gets over, grab some and make this delicious mango panna cotta. And don’t forget to tag me @playfulcooking in Instagram so that I can share your creation.

Mango Panna Cotta

Kankana Saxena

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 0

Ingredients

 

• 2 cups mango puree
• 2 envelops of gelatin powder (It's about ¾ tablespoon each envelop)
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup sugar

Instructions

 

• Place the mango puree in a bowl and mix 1 envelop of gelatin powder. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, pour the puree in a pan and heat it at low heat for 5 minutes. Once done, divide it in 5 glasses (9 oz each glass). Place the glass in the refrigerator and let it set for 3 to 4 hours.
• Once the first layer is set, prepare the cream. Place the cold milk on a pan and add the second envelop of the gelatin. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, warm the milk at low heat for 5 minutes. Then, mix the cream to the warm milk. Pour the mixture to the glasses that has the set mango puree. Place the glass back in the refrigerator and let it set for 3 to 4 hours.
• When you are ready to serve, garnish it with fresh mango bites or any other fresh fruit of your choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serves 5 (9 oz each)