Easy Salted Caramel Panna Cotta With Praline - Recipe Winners (2024)

FAQs

Why is my panna cotta hard? ›

The reason for the gelatin is obvious — a perfect panna cotta should have just enough that it seems the cream is barely holding together. It quivers when you touch it. When there's too much gelatin, the custard feels stiff and cheesy. Too little and, well, you've got a puddle on the plate when you unmold it.

However, unlike panna cotta, crème brûlée relies on egg yolks, rather than gelatin, to give it its luxurious thickness and an even richer finish, more like a traditional custard. A notable difference, to be sure. This also gives the dessert a light golden color.

Too much gelatin could result in a texture that is too firm and Jello-like (you want the panna cotta to be just barely firm enough to unmold).

Panna cotta can always be the right dessert — whether you're throwing a fancy party or a small one, have lots of time or no time, are gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-prone, vegan, or simply craving a delicious and creamy sweet. It's perfect.

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

These days, indulgent restaurant desserts usually share the stage with a healthier fruit component. If you see it, opt for panna cotta—a light, eggless custard—instead of crème brûlée, and a seasonal fruit crisp or tart rather than cheesecake or anything warm and chocolate.

It celebrates the friendly familiarity of gelatin—so much less finicky than egg custards—while stripping its rococo stigma. And unlike its predecessor, the haughty crème brûlée, it doesn't require a blowtorch. Perhaps the dish is a '90s cliché, but panna cotta is one that's endured on its merits.

Might try to leave it out of the fridge for one hour to bring it up to room temperature. This will soften the panna cotta. If it's still to hard it would be possible to reheat it and add more cream + sugar and chill it again. Gelatine can be remelted.

If your panna cotta hasn't set, it's not that there is too much liquid in the recipe. It is because you haven't cooked your panna cotta mixture for long enough. I find around the 20 minute mark is a good length of time to cook the mixture on low. This seems to be sufficient time to allow the agar agar to gel.

If the panna cotta refuses to let go, try quickly dipping the mold in hot water and trying again. One trick is to brush a very thin layer of flavorless oil on the inside of each mold before pouring in the mixture. If the panna cotta absolutely won't come out, get a spoon and enjoy it straight from the dish...

What happens if panna cotta doesn't set? ›

It's likely that you either didn't dissolve the gelatin properly, or didn't use enough gelatin. Another reason could be that you're making panna cotta with kiwi fruit or another fruit that interferes with the ability of gelatin to set.