Panna Cotta with Italian Amarena Cherries

Panna Cotta with Italian Amarena Cherries

Italian panna cotta (cooked cream) is just the type of recipe home cooks look for. It's versatile, simple and, of course, delicious. Although I have had it on my culinary bucket list for many years I have never attempted to make it in my own kitchen. Perhaps this was because I have had one too many rubbery, unsuccessful concoctions placed before me. I was hoping I would learn its secrets and master its preparation during my cooking classes in Italy but recipes like Panna Cotta and polenta remained elusive. With no room for failure I finally decided to give it a try in my home kitchen. I learned it was the easiest possible recipe for an impressive dessert.

As I mentioned, Panna Cotta is all about the texture. It should be lightly wobbly not rigid, not what I call "rubber mallet Panna Cotta." It gets that way if you make it too far ahead and if it is too long in the fridge. You can make it up to a day ahead, and if you do, place plastic wrap close to the surface once it has set well, to prevent a leathery skin forming on what will be the base. Also make sure to remove it from the fridge 10 to 20 minutes before serving if it has been in the fridge over night.

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“Of course I made many boo-boos.

At first this broke my heart,

but then I came to understand that learning how to fix one’s mistakes,

or live with them,

was an important part of becoming a cook.”

~ Julia Child, My Life in France
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Even so Panna Cotta is one of those great desserts that you can make ahead of time. It's quick and easy and can be served in any pretty glass. When I made this recipe, I had some mixture left over, which I poured into small ramekins. You can also pour the Panna Cotta into coffee cups or espresso cups for a really fun presentation. Straight from Northern Italy, Panna Cotta will satisfy your midnight craving for sweets. If your stomach is really rumbling, just eat the Panna Cotta with a spoon straight from the pan!

I served these tender offerings with Italian Amarena cherries. These luscious and intensely flavourful cherries from the province of Emilia-Romagna are one of the most sought after all over Europe. The Fabbri family has been producing these luxurious wild cherries in syrup since 1905 from the guarded original recipe of founder Gennaro Fabbri. The local wild cherries which are a dark red variety with a sweet and slightly bitter flavour are preserved in a rich syrup made from the juice of the same fruit.

This delicate, silky cream is as easy to make as a piece of toast. This particular recipe was based on one from Carmelita at cookitaly.com. Give it a try, don't let it sit too long, and serve it with sliced fruit, berries or with some caramel or chocolate sauce...or better yet with a jar of Amarena cherries from Italy.

 **Panna Cotta with Italian Amarena Cherries**

360 ml cream (1-1/2 cups) they only have one kind of fresh cream in Italy, it is a whippable pouring cream

90 ml  (3/4 cup) milk, any kind

85 g (3/4 cup) sugar

1/2 stick vanilla pod

3 x 2 g sheets of leaf gelatin (titanium strength) or 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin

Put the sheets of leaf gelatin to soak in cold water, in a small bowl, until they become very soft and jelly like in consistency. Do not do this too early as the gelatin leaves can get too soft in which case they'll give their "gelling power" to the soaking water and your Panna Cotta will never set. For powdered gelatin, sprinkle on top of 45 ml / 3 tablespoons cold water until it becomes spongy and foamy.

Gently heat the milk, sugar and cream together, to dissolve sugar. Butterfly the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture. Be very careful not to let the mixture come to the boil. Though the Italian name translates as "cooked cream", the cream is barely "cooked" and it absolutely must not boil.

Squeeze out the leaf gelatin and add it (or the spongy powdered gelatin) to the milk/cream mixture off the heat. Stir at once to dissolve the gelatin completely. Allow the cream/milk mixture to cool until it starts to set a little, by which time it should be just tepid.

Using cold water, rinse out some small smooth molds, ideally metal ones, and shake excess out. Fill them carefully with the mixture - you can fill to the top - and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firmly set.

To turn out for serving, loosen all round the top with the tip of a thin bladed sharp knife - do not poke down, you only need to release the top rim. Place a dessert plate on top of each mold and up-end the sweet on to the plate. You may need to tap firmly on the bottom and to give the mold a very firm shake or two. When placing the plate on top, position it carefully so the Panna Cotta "lands" exactly where you want it to, centrally or a little to one side. You will not be able to change its position once it is on the plate.

If tapping is not sufficient to turn out the sweet, you may need to dip each mold briefly in hot water (or wrap it in a cloth dipped in very hot water and wrung out). Ease it out carefully with the help of a thin bladed metal spatula or knife if necessary.

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