Buttermilk Panna Cotta
When I think of buttermilk I think of Mrs. Schwinger, my piano teacher. In her living room stood two Steinway grand pianos. And on one of them, at the beginning of every lesson Mrs. Schwinger placed a glass of buttermilk. Over the course of the hour, she drained her glass, and taught me how to make the piano sing. It’s been over forty years since my last lesson, but to this day I think of her, the two pianos and her love of music every time I open a carton of buttermilk. Thank you, Mrs. Schwinger for sharing your love and knowledge of music – and buttermilk.
Yes, Virginia, it’s another Panna Cotta. This one is cool and smooth with a rich velvety consistency and the unique tang of buttermilk. It is one of those desserts that once you put it in your mouth and its complexity unfolds – your eyes will close. Let it happen.
Buttermilk Panna Cotta
makes 6 1/2 cup servings
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean OR 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
fresh blueberries and mint to garnish
Pour heavy cream into medium saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into heavy cream. Add bean to cream. Add sugar and stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Scald cream by heating until small bubbles form around the edges, pressing any clumps of vanilla seeds to break them up. Remove from heat. Cover and steep 20 minutes. Give vanilla bean one last scrape to remove any remaining seeds. Discard bean.
After the cream has steeped for 15 minutes, place 1 tablespoon water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Set aside to soften gelatin, 5 minutes. When gelatin has softened, (we’re at 20 minutes total now, including steeping time for the cream) reheat cream briefly and add gelatin, stirring to dissolve completely. Add buttermilk, and stir to combine. Strain mixture into a clean bowl, and place over ice water bath, stirring occasionally to cool and thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes (5 minutes if using vanilla extract.) Pour into serving bowls and cover with plastic. Chill 5 hours or overnight. Garnish with blueberries and fresh mint.
Technical note – This recipe calls for whole vanilla beans from which the seeds have been scraped. In order to keep the seeds uniformly suspended throughout the panna cotta, you must allow the mixture to cool and thicken somewhat before pouring into serving bowls. (Please note I said thicken, not set.) Omit this step, and the vanilla seeds will descend right through the hot cream mixture to the bottom of your serving vessels. About gelatin – have no fear. If you are new to it, take a look at my Espresso Panna Cotta article. There you will find more detail on gelatin along with step by step instructions on making Espresso Panna Cotta. It’s a real confidence builder; increase your gelatin quotient and get busy with this one.
Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show with even more pictures!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Thursday, June 16th 2011 at 5:35 am |
This is so delightful! I love the writing, the recipe and the photographs! It’s all so very delightful! Janet
Thursday, June 16th 2011 at 9:41 am |
I am so glad you like it – July ought to be a da vero family food fest!
Sunday, June 19th 2011 at 2:52 am |
I like the idea of mixing cream with buttermilk. Should make panna cotta more light and fresh, I believe.
Mette
Sunday, June 19th 2011 at 7:59 am |
Indeed it does lighten it, while adding a nice tang. I hope you try it. I bet you will enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by my site!
Saturday, June 25th 2011 at 12:56 pm |
What an interesting combination and what a wonderful story. Made my think of my piano teacher fondly. My parents loved to drink buttermilk and they loved it with saltine crackers crumbled into a glass. I never could work up any enthusiasm for drinking it, but I love baking with it. Since it isn’t an option for me here in Italy, my home made yogurt will have to step in, and I think it might be a nice change, although the cream here makes for pretty divine panna cotta. We shall just have to see. Your photography is stunning. I love your clear cups. Love them.
Saturday, June 25th 2011 at 2:32 pm |
I am sure that your homemade yogurt will be wonderful in this recipe. When I made it I was astounded at how clean the buttermilk tasted and what an absolutely refreshing dessert this really is. The buttermilk had the most astonishing effect of lightening the whole dessert. I imagine yogurt may have a similar effect. And indeed your cream in Italy is something to lust after. What a dream to have such a wonderful ingredient right outside your door! May I add that one of the most enjoyable aspects of blogging, and one which I had not expected, is meeting new friends and hearing the ideas of others. Thank you so much for stopping by The Front Burner and for your kind words and support. I hope you return often.
Thursday, October 27th 2011 at 4:49 pm |
Your story reminds me of when my grandfather tricked me into drinking buttermilk by getting me to take a sip of his evening glass of “milk.” I think every one of his children and grandchildren have had their inaugural taste of pure buttermilk the same way!
What a wonderful idea for a panna cotta- one of my favorite desserts.
Thursday, October 27th 2011 at 8:19 pm |
HI Amanda, I like your family tradition. I am still not a fan of drinking buttermilk, but I sure cook with it a lot. From pancakes and waffles to baked goods and now panna cotta, it makes its way into so much in my kitchen. I hope you try the Panna Cotta. It really is lovely. And if you make it, I would love to have a photograph for my Readers’ Gallery. Thanks for stopping by my site. I hope you return often.