I love panna cotta, as I love most creamy desserts. There’s also something amazing about being able to whip together a delicious dessert in 10 minutes that you can make as much ahead of time as you want. It’s less fussy than mousse, doesn’t need to be frozen and thawed, and you can make it relatively healthy. I sometimes substitute soy milk, although it’s definitely not as luxurious that way. I also tend to forgo the unmolding, preferring to eat them straight out of ramekins so I don’t delay one minute more than necessary. This version combines the sweetness of vanilla bean with the tartness of the passionfruit to make a light but creamy summer dessert.
Passionfruit Panna Cotta
1 cup whole milk
1 cup cream
4 tablespoons honey or 1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 envelope gelatin
4 passionfruit
Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl and set aside. Pour remaining milk and cream into a saucepan with the sugar or honey and bring to a simmer. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add along with the bean itself into the milk mixture. Turn the heat off and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Remove the bean pod and reheat until it’s just about to simmer. Turn off the heat again and add the gelatin mixture, making sure to stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Pour into ramekins and refrigerate until solidified, at least 4 hours.
Scoop the passionfruit out of the hulls into a bowl. Depending on the sweetness of your fruit, you may wish to sprinkle with a little sugar or add some honey. Spoon onto the tops of the panna cottas and serve.
