Mango season can’t get over without a Mango panna cotta. Mango Panna cotta is a much needed tropical twist to the very classic Italian dessert.
What is Panna Cotta
Mango Panna Cotta is such a simple dessert recipe for any dessert lover. In Italian Panna cotta literally is cooked cream. And mango season calls for making everything with mangoes. I can have a panna cotta almost any time – it is such a velvety smooth pot of bliss. But hey it’s a lot of calories. Seriously if these calories and gaining a lot of unwanted weight wasn’t too much of a thing I would have a dessert in every meal!
I am actually in love with everything Italian – shoes, food, desserts, the country side, the warmth of people, vineyards and men of course! The few days that I spent travelling through Italy were one of the best times of my life I guess. I am so fascinated with them.
My love for panna cotta is very biased as you can see. Whenever I have am hosting a dinner party and I am making a lot of other things, I like to make some panna cotta for dessert. You know what the best part is – make it in advance, put it in the refrigerator and forget.
I made these for a high tea party because I know my niece, who is British, is absolutely crazy about dessert. So this wasn’t exactly made for the blog and thus it’s not decorated in a very fancy way. You can actually go crazy and decorate it in a various way. I keep making this dessert, so I might share some crazy way of setting this in some other post. Worry not.
NO BAKE WONDER
This is one of those dessert in which you don’t need to do much – no baking, no beating, no mixing. All you do is cook cream, add gelatin and let the refrigerator do all the work. This is that simple. Make this, serve it to family and friends and reap in the compliments. You can thank me latter.
Let’s Get Started
Since we are doing a layer panna cotta – it is going to take twice the time than a single flavored panna cotta. Clear a shelf in the fridge. I always find the upper most shelf of the refrigerator works best for setting things up.
In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat up cream, milk and sugar. Full cream, half and half or low fat – you can use anything that you want. But you will get best results of that velvety texture when you use full cream. You know, sometimes its okay to indulge.
Let the mix cool down for 2-3 minutes.
Bloom some gelatin in cold water and gradually mix it with the cooked cream. Add vanilla extract or if you have a pod scrape the insides of the pod and mix it with cream.
Pour it in a glass and let it set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. You can do a lot of creativity in setting up a panna cotta. You can set them in silicon molds, martini glasses, short tumblers – almost about anything in which you can serve. Try using silicone molds if you want to de-mold and serve. I have done that same thing with the Strawberry Panna Cotta, which you can refer to.
While the vanilla layer is setting in the refrigerator, puree the mango. In a heavy bottom saucepan add little water, mango puree, castor sugar and bring it to heat.
Pro Tip: DO NOT BOIL the mango puree. You don’t want to lose the beautiful color of mango.
Add bloomed gelatin before you pour over the now set vanilla panna cotta layer.
Pro Tip: If you find the gelatin mix has become thick since it is sitting in water for some time now, microwave for 10 seconds. It will become liquid again. If you add the thickened gelatin then instead of having a set dessert you’ll have a runny dessert with some clumps of gelatin!
Now you have to set this layer for another 3-4 hours. The mango puree layer takes more time to set because it has more water components. I try to leave it in the refrigerator overnight so that I never have a trouble of a dessert which is not set.
Serving
This is a dessert that can be served cold or may be at room temperature in case you don’t like anything cold (that would be little unusual though!). I like it cold and you can see the mist on the glass while I was clicking the photos.
I served them with some chopped mango on top to give that additional texture to the velvety smoothness.
- Full Fat Double Cream - 2 cups
- Milk - ¾ cup
- Castor Sugar - ¾ cup (increase if you are used to too sweet desserts)
- vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon or 1 vanilla pod
- Gelatin or agar agar powder - 2½ teaspoon or 1 envelope
- Water - ¼ cup (for blooming gelatin)
- Cling Film - to cover the glasses
- Mango Pulp pureed in mixer - 2 cups
- Water - ¼ cup
- Castor Sugar - 3 teaspoon (depending on the sweetness of mango)
- Gelatin or agar agar powder - 2½ teaspoon or 1 envelope
- Water - ¼ cup (for blooming gelatin)
- Bloom gelatin in cold water
- In a heavy bottom saucepan heat cream and milk with sugar till sugar melts
- Do not boil - if you boil the cream will split
- Add vanilla extract or scrape the insides of 1 pod and mix with the cream mixture.
- Let the mixture cool down for 2 minutes
- Add bloomed gelatin
- Divide and pour the cream mix into 4 glasses
- Cover the glasses with cling films
- Put them in the refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours
- Bloom Gelatin in cold water
- Heat mango puree with sugar and water till sugar melts.
- Do not boil - you don't want to lose the color of mango.
- Remove from heat and let it cool for 2 minutes
- Add bloomed gelatin
- Pour it over the vanilla layer and wrap with cling film again
- Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or over night
- Serve chilled with chopped mangoes
- Please take note while adding gelatin in any liquid - both the temperature of bloomed gelatin and the liquid should be same or as cold as possible.
- Do not add gelatin in boiling hot liquid - it will not set
- Do not bloom gelatin in hot water
You might Like
Strawberry Panna Cotta – The Classic Italian Dessert – Panna Cotta now with strawberries. Velvety smooth panna cotta with chunks of strawberries in it.
Vanilla Panna Cotta – The good old Vanilla Panna Cotta is the Classic Italian Dessert – with the velvety smoothness of cream and a dollop of fruit preserves.
Date Jaggery Panna Cotta – Yet another tropical twist to the Classic Italian Dessert. Flavured with date jaggery syrup.
21 comments
My husband is of Italian heritage – I showed this to him. Seal of approval. Mangoes are something we can’t grow here, but that’s OK – it is easily available in the supermarket. Sounds so cooling, especially as you tell us we don’t need to use what we call whipping cream in the United states – can use a lighter cream.
OMG that’s awesome Alana. Say hi to him from my side. Yeah you can use any cream – it’s great to do your modifications after all you are going to enjoy it!
I would so love love this–will make it next week when we have mangoes at home.
I hope you enjoyed it Damayanti. thanks for dropping by
Looks so delicious !! 😀 It’s something I have had in Yum cha… this is my favourite dessert … they sometimes pour condense milk over the mango layer and serve.
hmm.. condensed milk on mango and panna cotta – sounds yum to me. Thanks for dropping by.
Looks so mouthwatering, but the huge sugar intake puts me off these days ☺️
Indulgence once in a while is good. Don’t worry too much on that. But without sugar may be you can try making it with those artificial sweeteners. I haven’t tried making it with them though.
Ok, i have been using those sweeteners these days (not that i have diabetes, yet – just a precaution).
Hey Tina, your recipes seem really easy but I have a waist line to look after. However, I’ve been totally inspired by your blog and have tried to re-vamp mine. Do visit it at http://foodities.in/recipe/make-easy-chicken-liver-mushroom-pate/
Thank you so much Sunita. I try to indulge once in a while. But lately, that frequency has increased!!
Oh God, these pictures are absolutely delectable. Love mango and this looks like such a good recipe. Have to try it out. Really nice website too.
I have been so fascinated with panna cotta following master chef australia- thanks for making it seem so easy- shall make soon and share my pics n expereince!
Panna Cotta is damn easy. It only sounds difficult i guess. It’s my go to dessert for any party i have at home. You can make it ahead and it’s like one item less on your to-do list.
Seems soo yummy, need to try it soon. Though, doesn’t seem so easy to prepare as you mentioned in your post Let’s see.
Looks yummy..mangoes are not in the season but will surely try it 🙂
Gosh those pics gave me a sugar rush. I am not too much of a desert person other than anything in chocolate , in which case i am like you – a desert for every meal person.
I was curious about penacota coz I have tasted them but never knew what they were really about.. its an very nicely done post Tina.. informative and tempting .. just like a food blog post should be!
Gorgeous recipe! I want to eat some right away!
Thank you Kala, Mango season is going to start, make one
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This looks so delicious. And you make it look like it’s so simple to make. I am sure it takes a lot of effort though. I will try this one soon.