Honey Panna Cotta
By Brud Holland
One of my other favorite Italian foods is the completely diary-centric, sublimely textural dessert many people know: panna cotta. Like shortbread, it features few ingredients, allowing the cream and milk to be front and center in a deliciously subtle way. The Red Jacket Orchard Fuji apple juice along with whatever local honey you happen to have provides a delicate layer of fruit and sweetness in the background.
Makes 12
Non-stick spray
1/2 cup whole milk, cold
4 teaspoons powdered gelatin
4 cups Pittsford Farms Dairy heavy cream
1 cup apple cider
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
Lightly spray 12 4-ounce ramekins and refrigerate on a baking sheet.
Place the cold milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top evenly. Set aside for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon.
Place the cream, cider, vanilla bean and sugar into a 4-quart saucepan on medium heat. When it reaches a low simmer, add the gelatin/milk mixture and continue heating and stirring to fully dissolve the gelatin (it need not boil).
Remove from the heat and pour through a mesh strainer into another large bowl. Place the bowl containing the strained panna cotta mixture over an ice bath and stir with a spatula while constantly spinning the bowl. When the mixture is cool to the touch but not set, fill the ramekins and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight until fully set. (Should look somewhat like white Jello.) To serve, pull the panna cotta away from the edge of the ramekin with your fingertip and turn out onto a small plate. Serve with fresh berries or berry sauce.
Brud Holland is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and lives in Watkins Glen with his wife Shari and 3 kids. Having been part of the food and wine scene here in the Finger Lakes for 30+ years, he draws on experiences from a wide variety of culinary escapades that include bakery owner, restaurateur, food product developer, teacher, and genuine promoter of all things grown and made in the Finger Lakes.
Photo by Aran Holland
This recipe is from our dairy-focused Fall 2015 issue.
