After dinner, my husband often wants a little sip of something more or a bite of something sweet. At a restaurant in Chicago years ago, he ordered and never forgot one thing on the menu: a so-called after-pork digestif. There was a lot of pork at this dinner, and here was this liqueur served at the end of the meal, as if to punctuate it and soothe your full stomach.
The classic after-dinner coffee is the same idea just without the alcohol. With an upcoming dinner party, I wanted to play off this idea but combine it with dessert. With 12 people joining us for dinner, it had to be something I could make ahead. And it shouldn't be too over the top.
The answer was something I'd been meaning to try cooking at home for some time: panna cotta. In so many ways, it is the perfect dinner party dessert. It can be prepared up to two days before your friends arrive. You can make enough for a crowd or just enough for two. You can flavor the versatile panna cotta as you like, and you can unmold it onto small plates or not. With a crowd, I poured my mixture into 4-ounce jelly jars and served them in those jars.
Panna cotta, which in Italian translates to "cooked cream," is a blank slate for whatever flavor strikes you. In this version I made espresso panna cotta -- silky, smooth and tasting purely of coffee.
I don't think I can get away with saying this is a light dessert since the main ingredient is heavy cream, but it doesn't feel heavy after dinner. Really.
I wasn't sure doubling this recipe would work but I trusted in my brief but successful experience using gelatin to make marshmallows, and it worked out very well. Maybe you're having an end-of-summer party and need to feed a crowd, like I did. Either way, feel free to halve this recipe to serve eight. Instead of glass jars you can use coffee mugs, wine or martini glasses, or pretty much any other small bowl or glass you have.
This is an easy and classy dessert that is a bit more elegant than summer's scoops of ice cream. Serving is just as simple. Pull the tray with the panna cotta jars out of the fridge, sprinkle each serving of panna cotta with cacao nibs and raspberries, and then head to the table and let everyone take one. For a little more indulgence, add whipped cream.
Ileana Morales Valentine lives in St. Petersburg with her husband. For more of their kitchen stories, visit her blog, ALittleSaffron.com. Say hello at alittlesaffron@gmail.com.
MODERATE
Espresso Panna Cotta for a Crowd
8 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 cup sugar
½ cup instant espresso powder
Pinch of salt
4 teaspoons vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 packets powdered unflavored gelatin (about 9 teaspoons)
¾ cup cold water
Cacao nibs and fresh raspberries or whipped cream, for serving
Heat the heavy cream, sugar, instant espresso powder and salt in a 3-quart or larger saucepan. Once the sugar and espresso powder dissolve, remove saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. (If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the cream and throw in the bean pod, too. Cover and let infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bean and rewarm the mixture before continuing.)
Arrange 12 to 16 4-ounce jelly jars on a small sheet pan (this makes it easier to place in the fridge and later serve). You can also use wine or martini glasses for any extra panna cotta mixture. I serve the panna cotta in the jars, but if you plan to unmold the panna cotta, lightly oil the vessels with a neutral-tasting oil.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a large bowl and let stand 5 to 10 minutes so it absorbs the water.
Pour the very warm cream mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Divide the panna cotta mixture into the jars or cups and chill until firm, about 2 to 4 hours. Panna cotta will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.
To serve, garnish each serving of panna cotta with cacao nibs and fresh raspberries. (If you are serving the panna cotta without the jar, run a sharp knife around the edge of each panna cotta and unmold onto a plate.)
Serves about 16.
Source: Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz, who adapted his recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen by Judy Witt
About the Author
