Panna cotta recipe (keto frendly!)

Panna cotta is a very famous Italian dessert, worldwide appreciated as much as tiramisu. It is a very simple preparation based on heavy cream which is thickened with gelatin. It is usually accompanied with red fruits, although we can experiment with other alternatives such as mango, pistachios, coffee, or whatever our imagination suggests!

About the ingredients and quantities to prepare the panna cotta:

• Use whipping cream (35% fat).
• This dessert is quite caloric, so I have calculated the quantities for 6 servings with 50 ml of cream in each one, which I have served in small glasses. If you want larger portions, just modify the proportions.
• The consistency of the panna cotta should be firm but still have some movement. For this, about 3 sheets of gelatin are enough (about 3.5 to 4 grams in total).
• Vanilla extract is a traditional flavoring in this recipe, but we can simply skip it or replace according to preference with grated coconut, grated lemon or orange peel, etc.
• This dessert is ideal to program within a “keto” (ketogenic) diet, thanks to the fact that its main ingredients do not provide significant amounts of carbohydrates. Simply use xylitol instead of sugar in its preparation.
• We can choose red fruits according to preference, such as strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
• It is possible to simply accompany the panna cotta with fresh fruits and skip the last step of preparation.

How to prepare panna cotta:

Soak the gelatin leaves in a glass of cold water. At the same time, heat the heavy cream over moderate heat along with the sugar (or xylitol) and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Stir to integrate the ingredients and prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom. Remove from heat when small bubbles appear, we do not want it to come to a boil. Drain the liquid from the gelatin and add the leaves to the preparation. Mix until the gelatin has completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour into successive containers or glasses. When the panna cotta has cooled, cover and keep in the refrigerator at least for a few hours.

The panna cotta accompaniment:

Put the red fruits in a saucepan and add the sugar or xylitol on top, to help them release a little of their water. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the fruits have mostly dissolved. Blend them in a mixer if you prefer a smoother consistency. When the preparation has cooled down, store in the refrigerator in a clean glass jar.

Serve the panna cotta:

Pour a generous amount of the jam into each glass with a spoon, without reaching the edge. If we want to give a touch of color, we can decorate with some mint leaves.

Tips and tricks:

1. After serving the panna cotta in the glasses, immediately cover with kitchen film. In this way we prevent the surface from drying out, which would form a kind of crust that would affect the texture.
2. Let the panna cotta cool for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator and ideally until the next day.