Panna Cotta with Chocolate and Strawberries
By mid-February, it seems that winter has howled forever and that spring will never arrive. Friends from my home state have reported that they’ve had their first blizzard since 1927 while up north, we have been snowbound so often that being able to get out of the house, even for a simple walk to the business district, is reason enough to celebrate. It may not seem like it during a winter of record ice and snow, but spring is on the ascendant. True to its nature (how could it be otherwise?), spring starts delicately, and sometimes the signs of new growth are tentative, but they are there. On February 2, no less an expert than Punxsutawney Phil predicted the arrival of an early spring to an audience desperate to hear that very message. That weekend, I heard from readers who reported that buds were appearing on their cherry trees, and who circulated pictures of robin redbreasts and the first crocuses.
Mid-February is an arrival. Activity is picking up during this time of the awakening seasonal shift. Weary winter birds migrate to warmer climes for a few days of winter vacation – the grown-up version of that springtime rite that’s on the horizon, Spring Break. Doglovers celebrate purebreeds at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. In the patriotic nick of time, President’s Day gives us the last bank holiday until Memorial Day. And, of course, February 14 is Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day is a bonanza for lifestyle writers. Somehow it doesn’t get the press that the big ticket holidays do so there is not only much to do but much to write about. Decorators and entertainers get to play with a palette of red and white, softened by romantic pink or emboldened by erotic crimson, recalling Christmas’ red and green, Halloween’s orange and black, even Easter’s pastels. Crafters get to cut and embellish valentines from materials as basic as colored paper and glitter to as elaborate as satin and gems. Gardeners are setting out the first seeds, honoring the fertility that backtracks to Valentine’s Day but culminates on May Day. And cooks get to experiment with aphrodisia.
Plenty of bandwidth and column inches have been devoted to aphrodisiacs, those compounds believed to enhance erotic feelings, performance and escapades. Some are well-known and some are obscure, and almost anyone who has an opinion on them expresses it. I cannot speak to aphrodisia, but I can speak to romance, to creativity, to sensuality, and to celebration. Wherever and to whatever else they also apply, if those qualities don’t define a dessert, I don’t know what does.
Love is the star on Valentine's Day but due to its sensual nature, chocolate is the star ingredient. Other treats from champagne to strawberries also appear on love’s menu, but any absent-minded spouse will confirm that a heart-shaped box of chocolates is a requirement for this holiday. Last year, we baked a sexy chocolate hazelnut tart for our Valentine’s Day dessert course. This year’s Valentine’s day dessert is a snowy panna cotta for two. Panna cotta or "cooked cream" is an Italian sweet in which a smooth texture somewhere between a gelatin and a custard and the deep flavors of vanilla and cream create a supremely sensual dessert. Though traditionally served simply with fruit or balsamic vinegar, for Valentine’s Day our panna cotta flirts with a sexy chocolate sauce but is married to sweet strawberries. If you are a traditional romantic, serve your panna cotta instead with a drizzle of warmed jam – last autumn’s strawberry-balsamic would be great, but so would blueberry or apricot -- or with a quick dessert sauce such as raspberry, lemon, even butterscotch. Or omit the strawberries in the recipe below and augment the plate instead with a spray of fresh mint leaves.
PANNA COTTA WITH CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRIES
Panna cotta is often served as a molded dessert. Though this is the technique in the recipe below, I have also given directions for serving your panna cotta as a sexy parfait. Use high-quality baking chocolate for the sauce; you can obtain my favorite here.
For the panna cotta
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
For the strawberries
1 dry pint strawberries
For the chocolate sauce
4 1-ounce squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. The night before you plan to serve the dish, pour the cream into a bowl. Measure the granulated sugar into a second bowl.
2. Lay the vanilla bean on a clean plate. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of the knife, scrape along the interior of one of the vanilla bean halves to capture the tiny seeds. They will stick to the blade of the knife but it is okay of some of the seeds spill onto the plate. Use the knife blade to stir the seeds sticking to it into the sugar. Cover the vanilla sugar with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to prepare the dish.
3. Use the knife to scrape along the interior of the remaining vanilla bean half to capture the tiny seeds. Use the knife blade to stir the seeds into the cream, scraping the plate to capture those seeds and stir those into the cream. Place both vanilla bean halves into the cream. Cover the bowl tightly with two layers of plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
4. 5 hours before you plan to serve the dessert, pour the milk into a mixing bowl. Open the gelatin packet and measure out 1-1/2 teaspoons of the granules. Sprinkle the measured gelatin over gelatin over the milk. Let stand to soften the gelatin, about two minutes.
5. While the gelatin softens, remove the vanilla bean halves from the cream and pour the vanilla-infused cream into a saucepan. Measure 1/4 cup vanilla sugar and pour the sugar into the pan with the cream. Turn the burner to medium low and heat, stirring with a whisk, until the sugar is dissolved and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan.
6. While the vanilla cream is heating, place two ramekins, parfait glasses or wine glasses on a tray. Arrange a shelf in the refrigerator to be sure there is room to accommodate the ramekins / glasses on the tray.
7. Once the vanilla cream is gently bubbling, turn of the heat and remove the pan from the heat. Hold the pan containing the vanilla cream over the milk-gelatin mixture. Use one hand to pour the vanilla cream into the milk-gelatin mixture while using the other had to whisk while you pour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the pan clean of vanilla cream and add that to the milk-gelatin-cream mixture.
8. Pour the panna cotta mixture from the pan into the ramekins / wine glasses, dividing evenly and using the spatula to make sure that each panna cotta has a nice flat top. Cover each ramekin / wine glass with a double layer of plastic wrap. Use the tray to convey the panna cottas to the cleared space in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
9. After refrigerating the panna cottas, place a colander in the sink. Pick through the strawberries, discarding any that evidence mold or soft brown or black spots. Place the strawberries in the colander and rinse well under cool water. Place a small sharp knife, a cutting board and a large bowl near the sink.
10. Place a strawberry on its side on the cutting board. Use the knife to cut a circle under the leaf. Pull out the leaf, taking the internal hull with it, and discard. Use the knife to cut away and discard any unripened white or yellow flesh. Turn the strawberry cut-side down and cut downwards to halve the strawberry. Halve the halves to form quarters. Place the cut strawberries into the bowl as you go.
11. Once the berries are cut, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup vanilla sugar. Use a clean rubber spatula to thoroughly coat the strawberries with the sugar. Set aside to macerate while the panna cottas refrigerate.
12. When ready to serve, place the butter and the baking chocolate into a clean metal pan. Turn the burner to medium-low and heat the chocolate and butter, whisking constantly with a wire whisk, until velvety, approximately two minutes.
13. If using ramekins, drizzle a swirl of chocolate sauce onto a dessert plate. Remove the plastic wrap from one of the panna cottas and gently place the ramekin upside down on the sauced plate. Gently tap the ramekin until you feel the panna cotta drop out of the ramekin and onto the plate. Gently remove the ramekin. Top the panna cotta with a shower of sugared strawberries and some of the accumulated strawberry sauce.
14. If using wineglasses, remove the plastic wrap from the wine glass and top the panna cotta with a layer of sugared strawberries. Top the strawberries with a dollop of chocolate sauce.
15. Serve.
Mid-February is an arrival. Activity is picking up during this time of the awakening seasonal shift. Weary winter birds migrate to warmer climes for a few days of winter vacation – the grown-up version of that springtime rite that’s on the horizon, Spring Break. Doglovers celebrate purebreeds at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. In the patriotic nick of time, President’s Day gives us the last bank holiday until Memorial Day. And, of course, February 14 is Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day is a bonanza for lifestyle writers. Somehow it doesn’t get the press that the big ticket holidays do so there is not only much to do but much to write about. Decorators and entertainers get to play with a palette of red and white, softened by romantic pink or emboldened by erotic crimson, recalling Christmas’ red and green, Halloween’s orange and black, even Easter’s pastels. Crafters get to cut and embellish valentines from materials as basic as colored paper and glitter to as elaborate as satin and gems. Gardeners are setting out the first seeds, honoring the fertility that backtracks to Valentine’s Day but culminates on May Day. And cooks get to experiment with aphrodisia.
Plenty of bandwidth and column inches have been devoted to aphrodisiacs, those compounds believed to enhance erotic feelings, performance and escapades. Some are well-known and some are obscure, and almost anyone who has an opinion on them expresses it. I cannot speak to aphrodisia, but I can speak to romance, to creativity, to sensuality, and to celebration. Wherever and to whatever else they also apply, if those qualities don’t define a dessert, I don’t know what does.
Love is the star on Valentine's Day but due to its sensual nature, chocolate is the star ingredient. Other treats from champagne to strawberries also appear on love’s menu, but any absent-minded spouse will confirm that a heart-shaped box of chocolates is a requirement for this holiday. Last year, we baked a sexy chocolate hazelnut tart for our Valentine’s Day dessert course. This year’s Valentine’s day dessert is a snowy panna cotta for two. Panna cotta or "cooked cream" is an Italian sweet in which a smooth texture somewhere between a gelatin and a custard and the deep flavors of vanilla and cream create a supremely sensual dessert. Though traditionally served simply with fruit or balsamic vinegar, for Valentine’s Day our panna cotta flirts with a sexy chocolate sauce but is married to sweet strawberries. If you are a traditional romantic, serve your panna cotta instead with a drizzle of warmed jam – last autumn’s strawberry-balsamic would be great, but so would blueberry or apricot -- or with a quick dessert sauce such as raspberry, lemon, even butterscotch. Or omit the strawberries in the recipe below and augment the plate instead with a spray of fresh mint leaves.
PANNA COTTA WITH CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRIES
Panna cotta is often served as a molded dessert. Though this is the technique in the recipe below, I have also given directions for serving your panna cotta as a sexy parfait. Use high-quality baking chocolate for the sauce; you can obtain my favorite here.
For the panna cotta
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
For the strawberries
1 dry pint strawberries
For the chocolate sauce
4 1-ounce squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. The night before you plan to serve the dish, pour the cream into a bowl. Measure the granulated sugar into a second bowl.
2. Lay the vanilla bean on a clean plate. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of the knife, scrape along the interior of one of the vanilla bean halves to capture the tiny seeds. They will stick to the blade of the knife but it is okay of some of the seeds spill onto the plate. Use the knife blade to stir the seeds sticking to it into the sugar. Cover the vanilla sugar with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to prepare the dish.
3. Use the knife to scrape along the interior of the remaining vanilla bean half to capture the tiny seeds. Use the knife blade to stir the seeds into the cream, scraping the plate to capture those seeds and stir those into the cream. Place both vanilla bean halves into the cream. Cover the bowl tightly with two layers of plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
4. 5 hours before you plan to serve the dessert, pour the milk into a mixing bowl. Open the gelatin packet and measure out 1-1/2 teaspoons of the granules. Sprinkle the measured gelatin over gelatin over the milk. Let stand to soften the gelatin, about two minutes.
5. While the gelatin softens, remove the vanilla bean halves from the cream and pour the vanilla-infused cream into a saucepan. Measure 1/4 cup vanilla sugar and pour the sugar into the pan with the cream. Turn the burner to medium low and heat, stirring with a whisk, until the sugar is dissolved and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan.
6. While the vanilla cream is heating, place two ramekins, parfait glasses or wine glasses on a tray. Arrange a shelf in the refrigerator to be sure there is room to accommodate the ramekins / glasses on the tray.
7. Once the vanilla cream is gently bubbling, turn of the heat and remove the pan from the heat. Hold the pan containing the vanilla cream over the milk-gelatin mixture. Use one hand to pour the vanilla cream into the milk-gelatin mixture while using the other had to whisk while you pour. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the pan clean of vanilla cream and add that to the milk-gelatin-cream mixture.
8. Pour the panna cotta mixture from the pan into the ramekins / wine glasses, dividing evenly and using the spatula to make sure that each panna cotta has a nice flat top. Cover each ramekin / wine glass with a double layer of plastic wrap. Use the tray to convey the panna cottas to the cleared space in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
9. After refrigerating the panna cottas, place a colander in the sink. Pick through the strawberries, discarding any that evidence mold or soft brown or black spots. Place the strawberries in the colander and rinse well under cool water. Place a small sharp knife, a cutting board and a large bowl near the sink.
10. Place a strawberry on its side on the cutting board. Use the knife to cut a circle under the leaf. Pull out the leaf, taking the internal hull with it, and discard. Use the knife to cut away and discard any unripened white or yellow flesh. Turn the strawberry cut-side down and cut downwards to halve the strawberry. Halve the halves to form quarters. Place the cut strawberries into the bowl as you go.
11. Once the berries are cut, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup vanilla sugar. Use a clean rubber spatula to thoroughly coat the strawberries with the sugar. Set aside to macerate while the panna cottas refrigerate.
12. When ready to serve, place the butter and the baking chocolate into a clean metal pan. Turn the burner to medium-low and heat the chocolate and butter, whisking constantly with a wire whisk, until velvety, approximately two minutes.
13. If using ramekins, drizzle a swirl of chocolate sauce onto a dessert plate. Remove the plastic wrap from one of the panna cottas and gently place the ramekin upside down on the sauced plate. Gently tap the ramekin until you feel the panna cotta drop out of the ramekin and onto the plate. Gently remove the ramekin. Top the panna cotta with a shower of sugared strawberries and some of the accumulated strawberry sauce.
14. If using wineglasses, remove the plastic wrap from the wine glass and top the panna cotta with a layer of sugared strawberries. Top the strawberries with a dollop of chocolate sauce.
15. Serve.
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