Scoopable Vanilla Panna Cotta (Restaurant Style)
Here’s a take on a classic vanilla panna cotta that’s scooped with a spoon to serve. This is something that’s popular in restaurants at the moment & it still has that perfect wobble!
Something that I’ve seen a few different restaurants do is make a classic panna cotta that’s set in a tub instead of moulds, so that it can be scooped to serve. Instead of being turned out! So, I thought I’d show how to do this at home. It’s something a bit different that looks really good & crucially, still has that perfect wobble! This style of panna cotta is perfect for dinner parties & although I flavoured mine with vanilla, this technique can be used for all flavours.
As you’ll see in the photo above, I served my vanilla panna cotta with some vibrant poached rhubarb & a sprinkle of crystallised flaked almonds. Both of these recipes can be found on this blog but you can serve yours with pretty whatever you like. Panna cottas are a versatile dessert that go with a wide range of different garnishes. From poached fruit, to coulis, praline, biscotti & lots more.
For more easy to follow dessert recipes, take a look at our dessert recipe collection! There’s something for everyone here, including homemade ice creams, chocolate cake, sticky toffee pudding, panna cottas & lots more.
What You’ll Need
- Cream – For the creamiest texture & flavour, we’re using double cream (heavy cream) for these panna cottas.
- Milk – When I make panna cottas, I like to use a mix of double cream & whole milk, for a slightly lighter texture. They’re still as creamy though! This recipe has been designed to use milk & cream, for the perfect set!
- Vanilla – Using a good quality vanilla makes all the difference when making panna cottas. You can either use a vanilla pod or vanilla paste.
- Gelatine – Gelatine is what makes panna cottas set! For scoopable panna cottas with the perfect wobble, we’re using 5 sheets of gelatine to 950g of liquid. I use Dr Oetker platinum grade gelatine sheets but other brands will work as well!
- Sugar – We’re adding in caster sugar, for sweetness.
How To Make Scoopable Panna Cotta
This style of panna cotta is scooped to serve, so is a bit more rustic than your regular panna cotta. It’s equally delicious though & still has that perfect wobble! Plus, it’s actually easier to serve panna cottas this way, as you don’t have to worry about turning them out of moulds. You make a regular panna cotta, pour the cream into a tub then once set, use a spoon to scoop portions into bowls…
Panna Cotta Mix
Making vanilla panna cotta is really easy. All we need do is warm cream, milk, sugar & vanilla up in a pan until steaming hot then stir in soaked gelatine leaves. Then, to prevent the vanilla beans from sinking as the panna cotta sets, we’re going to cool the cream down over a bowl of ice water until thick. This step takes around 20 minutes & makes all the difference!
How To Set Panna Cottas For Scooping
As we’re going to be scooping our panna cotta to serve, we need to set the mix in a tub that makes the cream deep enough to scoop. For this recipe, it’s best to use a 2 litre tub that’s rectangular, as this makes scooping easier. Also, to prevent a skin forming on top of the cream as it sets, we’re going to lay a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the cream before it goes into the fridge.
How To Scoop Panna Cotta
Scooping a panna cotta isn’t like when you scoop ice cream, instead it’s more like a rustic spoonful! So to serve this restaurant style panna cotta, we take a large serving spoon then use it to scoop out a generous portion, in one smooth motion. For the cleanest scoops, I like to dip the spoon in warm water then dry it off between each one. This recipe makes enough panna cotta for 8 portions, so try to visual an eighth of the tub as you scoop it.
Serving Suggestions
Vanilla panna cottas pair really well with garnishes that cut through the rich, creamy flavour & texture. I often serve my panna cottas with fruit that’s been either poached or roasted, to enhance its’ flavour and something crunchy like crystallised nuts or praline. For this particular batch of panna cotta, I went with some poached forced rhubarb & crystallised flaked almonds. However, they’re good with pretty much anything!
Tips & Tricks
- For the best flavour, use a good quality vanilla. This could be a vanilla pod or a good vanilla paste.
- Soak your gelatine sheets in cold water for at least 5 minutes, so that they dissolve into the cream properly.
- Don’t let the cream boil as this can affect how the gelatine sets.
- Cool the panna cotta mix over a bowl of ice water, until thick. This holds the vanilla bean seeds in suspension, preventing them from sinking. This is how you get vanilla that is evenly distributed through each scoop of panna cotta.
- This style of panna cotta will take slightly longer to set, so make sure to give it at least 6 hours in the fridge before serving.
- For the cleanest portions, dip your spoon in warm water then dry it between scoops.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make panna cottas on an Aga, use the simmering plate to warm up the cream.
Panna cottas need to be stored in the fridge & are best eaten within 3 days. For this style of panna cotta, I wouldn’t recommend freezing.
To stop vanilla seeds from sinking in panna cottas, cool the cream over a bowl of ice water until it thickens. This holds the vanilla seeds in suspension which stops them from sinking as the panna cotta sets.
Although you can use powdered gelatine for panna cottas, it’s not a direct swap so I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe.
Yes, different grades of gelatine sheets are generally considered to be interchangeable as they tend to have the same setting power. Stronger gelatine sheets will be thinner & lighter whereas weaker ones will be thicker & heavier.
More Dessert Recipes To Try!
- Roasted Blackberry Panna Cottas
- Burnt Honey & Almond Panna Cottas With Roasted Peaches
- Rhubarb & Custard Pavlovas With Crystallised Pistachios
- Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Roasted Strawberry Ripple Ice Cream
- Lemon & Lime Possets With Ginger Crumble
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Scoopable Vanilla Panna Cotta (Restaurant Style)
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Mixing Bowls
- Rectangular Container (See Notes)
Ingredients
- 600 g Double Cream
- 350 g Whole Milk
- 120 g Caster Sugar
- 1 Vanilla Pod (Or 2 tsp Vanilla Paste)
- 5 Gelatine Sheets (See Notes)
Instructions
Panna Cotta Mix
- Fill a small bowl with cold water then add in the gelatine sheets one at a time. Leave to soak whilst you warm the cream up.
- Next, place the cream, milk & sugar into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod & add both the seeds & pod to the milk & cream.
- Place the pan over a low heat & allow to warm gently, stirring occasionally. Once steaming (don’t let it boil!) remove the pan from the heat.
- Squeeze as much water as you can out of the soaked gelatine then stir it into the warm cream. Make sure to stir until the gelatine has fully dissolved.
- Pass the cream through a sieve, into a metal mixing bowl.
- Next, fill a larger, separate bowl up with ice & water then place the bowl containing the cream into the bowl of water. Stir the panna cotta mix regularly until it has cooled down & has started to thicken. This will take around 20 minutes.Allowing the panna cotta mix to cool like this holds the vanilla seeds in suspension, preventing them from sinking.
- Once the cream is ready, pour it into a rectangular tub then cover the surface with a piece of clingfilm & chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, until fully set. Overnight is best though!The panna cotta needs to be thick enough (height wise) to scoop. I used a 2 litre tub. See the photos in the post above for a visual guide on this.
To Serve
- To serve your panna cotta, remove the clingfilm from the top then use a large serving spoon to scoop out portions, transferring them to bowls. For the cleanest scoops, dip your spoon in warm water then dry before each scoop.This recipe makes enough panna cotta for 8 portions, so try to visualise an eighth of the tub when scooping!
I absolutely love panacotta. Great idea making a big dish. May I ask if you use gold or titanium gelatine leaves please and what weight are they? I’m concerned that 5 sheets would make it too rubbery.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I use platinum grade gelatine leaves. As far as I’m aware different grades of sheet gelatine are interchangeable (at a 1:1 ratio) as the stronger setting ones are lighter & thinner and the weaker grades are heavier & thicker!