Recipes Desserts Flan + Custard Easy Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta 5.0 (5,153) 11 Reviews Though often served unmolded, chef E. Michael Reidt's vanilla panna cotta is so tender that he serves it in ramekins. By E. Michael Reidt Updated on April 23, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins Yield: 8 servings Panna cotta — literally "cooked cream" in Italian — is a silky, eggless custard thickened with a touch of gelatin. This easy panna cotta recipe is an especially rich version made with all cream instead of a mix of cream and milk. The cream here is not exactly cooked, but rather heated twice. First, it's combined with sugar, the scraped vanilla pod, and the tiny vanilla seeds and brought just to a simmer. This allows the sugar to dissolve and the fragrant vanilla to steep into the cream. After the vanilla has infused off the heat, the cream is heated to a simmer once again, this time so that the bloomed gelatin can be added and dissolved. Only a small amount of gelatin is used, yielding a pudding that's tender, not rubbery. Don't toss that vanilla bean after you've removed it from the pot, it still has more to give! Rinse it with hot water, using your fingers to squeeze off any remaining cream, then pat it dry. Place it on a clean paper towel to dry fully. You can use it for another infusion, bury it in a bit of sugar in a sealed container to make vanilla-scented sugar, or let it dry until it's brittle enough to grind into a vanilla powder. Ingredients 1 quart heavy cream 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin 3 tablespoons water Mixed berries, for serving Directions Cara Cormack Gather the ingredients (you won't need the berries until you're ready to serve the finished panna cotta). Cara Cormack In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla bean, and seeds. Bring the mixture just to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Cara Cormack Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until evenly moistened, about 5 minutes. Cara Cormack Uncover the cream mixture and bring just to a simmer over moderately high heat. Remove from heat, add the gelatin, and stir until dissolved. Remove the vanilla bean and save for another use. Cara Cormack Pour the panna cotta mixture into eight 4-ounce ramekins and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the panna cotta is set but still jiggly, at least 3 hours. Cara Cormack Serve in the ramekins with berries. Make ahead The panna cottas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Rate it Print