Panna Cotta all’Amaretto
Another in The Panna Cotta Diaries
Well, I am back to The Panna Cotta Diaries. I was in the mood. Comfort food. Easy comfort food. For me, that’s Panna Cotta. I decided to use Amaretto, and not just any Amaretto – Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira. If you have never tasted this brand, then you have never tasted Amaretto, the “little bitter” liqueur.
Luxardo uses the famous almonds from Avola in the province of Siracusa in the south of Sicily. Real almonds. Some say really the best almonds. Not all brands use almonds, much less the magnificent ones from Avola. Some use lesser quality nuts, peach pits or synthetic flavorings. I mention all this because until I tasted Luxardo, I did not care for Amaretto very much at all. If you think Amaretto is not for you, give the Luxardo a try. I bet that just as I did, you will change your mind.
The liqueur is a gorgeous clear amber. Open this sleek, slender bottle, and smell the heady scent of the finest marzipan. It is not as sweet as other brands, and the almond taste opens up as the liqueur wraps your mouth in a delicate blanket of almond. This is one luxurious liqueur, and it imparts the most extraordinary burnt sugar and almond flavor to this dessert.
Amaretto Panna Cotta
makes 6 1/2 cup servings
This Panna Cotta is just in time for elegant winter time dinner parties. I make it with a full 1/4 cup of Amaretto along with almond and vanilla extracts. Don’t skimp on the quality of liqueur. With this much Amaretto, you must use high quality spirits. Go for the good stuff, such as Luxardo. Ditto for the almond extract and vanilla extracts – use a fine brand such as Nielsen-Massey or Sonoma Syrup Co.
I tried several amounts of gelatin with this one. I started with 2 1/4 teaspoons, and the set was not firm enough. I upped it right to 3 teaspoons, and it was much too firm – a nerf ball comes to mind. I backed off to 2 ½ teaspoons – it was just a shade too tight, finally settling on a scant 2 ½ teaspoons. Remember though, the set on Panna Cotta is very much a personal choice. So feel free to change the amount up or down. but just remember that you will not need to change it very much. Unless you want a nerf ball, that is. For a photo essay on how to make Panna Cotta and information on how to treat gelatin, see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta.
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
1/4 cup Amaretto
1/4 cup granulated sugar
scant 2 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate curls to garnish
Pour 1/4 cup milk in shallow bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over milk and soften five minutes. Be sure all the gelatin comes in contact with the milk – otherwise it will not soften properly.
Pour cream, remaining 1 cup milk and sugar in medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Over medium flame, heat to scalding. Do not let mixture boil.
Remove from heat, add softened gelatin, stirring to combine thoroughly. Continue stirring until gelatin has dissolved. The mixture should be quite smooth.
Strain mixture into clean bowl. Add Amaretto and extracts and combine thoroughly.
Set bowl over an ice bath. Stir frequently to promote even cooling until mixture develops the consistency of high-fat heavy cream.
Pour into serving glasses. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Garnish with bittersweet chocolate curls for service.
A note: I like to cool the Panna Cotta until it thickens somewhat. That way when I move it from my counter to the refrigerator, it does not shift in the serving glass and I get a perfectly even line of Panna Cotta in the glass. Do avoid the pitfall of letting it get too thick. You will wind up with an uneven surface. I know. I know. Picky, picky.
Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Friday, October 21st 2011 at 8:13 am |
What a fabulous recipe and I can’t wait to try this weekend! Sonoma Syrup Almond Extract is all natural using the finest oil of bitter almond and is 5% stronger in nutty flavor than any brand out there so you chose the perfect product flavor profile for this delicious classic recipe! Cheers and thank you!
Friday, October 21st 2011 at 10:30 am |
Hi Karin, I am so pleased to hear from you and extremely glad to hear the particulars about your Sonoma Syrup Almond Extract. I added the Amaretto to the milk, cream and gelatin mixture and the aroma was pure almond and marzipan. Next I added your Sonoma Syrup almond extract, and I was enveloped in a most spectacular scent of almonds. Of course, at that point I just had to taste the mixture; the Luxardo Amaretto and your extract married harmoniously to create an extravagant, yet delicate, round almond flavor profile. I think your almond extract would be perfect in an almond creme anglaise. Thank you for stopping by my site – and do send me a photo of your Panna Cotta. I would love to post it in my Readers’ Gallery!
Saturday, October 22nd 2011 at 1:33 pm |
You have the most beautiful blog with such scrumptious looking delicacies. Ah, I wish I could cook like you! And you are an amazing photographer too! Complimenti!
Saturday, October 22nd 2011 at 9:18 pm |
Grazie, Trisha! What kind words. I enjoy the work that goes into this, and hearing from readers makes it all worthwhile. When asked the secret of her dancing ability Dame Margot Fonteyn responded “Practice, practice, practice. Repeat, repeat, repeat.” And with practice comes facility. Trust me – there were a lot of bloopers before I got to this stage. My husband, who does most of the photography (he extends a gracious thank you for your compliments) has documented all manner of results, the good, the bad and the ugly. He even shot the food I tossed in the trash. So I say grab a recipe and give it a go. You will surprise yourself. And feel free to email me with questions. I would be happy to help. Buona fortuna and thanks for stopping by my site.
Tuesday, January 24th 2012 at 4:02 pm |
this looks simply delish. I think I would have licked the dish clean. I always order this type of dessert when I am at a restaurant but afraid that it will be too much work to make. I think I will have to give it a try soon. Thanks for sharing.
Tuesday, January 24th 2012 at 10:03 pm |
Ciao Andrea,
I love custard desserts too. If there is one on the menu, I’ll go for it above all else. You need have no fear about Panna Cotta. I think it is fear of working with gelatin that holds people back. But once you master gelatin, which will take less than twenty minutes, you’ll be on your way, and like me, you will judge every flavor on whether or not it would be good in Panna Cotta! For a photo essay and a primer on panna cotta and working with gelatin, see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta.