Chocolate Panna Cotta
Made with chocolate chips, milk, sugar, gelatin, heavy cream, and vanilla, this panna cotta is a rich, creamy and easy yet impressive dessert that's perfect for special occasions!
Servings: 5
Estimated Calories: 490
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 1 (.25-ounce) packet unflavored gelatin powder
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate chips, about ½ cup
- 3.5 ounces milk chocolate chips, about ½ cup
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan (I use a 3-quart saucepan). Evenly sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Let sit for 5 minutes; this allows the gelatin to absorb some of the milk and soften so it will dissolve quicker. After the 5 minutes, the milk will look like it has a wrinkled surface.
- Add the dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. Place the pot on the stove over medium-low heat and heat, stirring constantly, just until the chocolate chips have completely melted, the sugar and gelatin have completely dissolved, everything is well combined, and the mixture is hot and lightly steaming.Do not boil (or even simmer) the mixture, as this can reduce the gelatin's ability to properly thicken and set the panna cotta. The temperature of the liquid should be around 130°F to 140°F.
- Off the heat, add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Evenly divide the mixture among 6 glass cups or ramekins (6 ounces or larger; I use 10-ounce cups. Each cup should have a little over ½ cup of the mixture in it).TIP: I use a saucepan that has a pour spout to make this easy. Alternately, you can transfer the mixture to a measuring cup with a pour spout. Also, I like to put the cups on a tray before filling so that it's easier to carry them to the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and set, at least 6 hours (longer is okay; I often let them set overnight).Keep them uncovered for the first 2 hours to prevent condensation from forming and dripping down onto the panna cotta. Then cover them with plastic wrap for the remainder of the time and until ready to serve.
- Serve chilled as-is or top with your desired garnishes, such as whipped cream, fresh berries, and/or chocolate chips or grated chocolate.
Recipe Notes
- Each serving of panna cotta is a little over ½ cup, so choose your glass cups or ramekins accordingly depending on the type of presentation you want. I use 10-ounce cups.
- I prefer to serve panna cotta right in the cups; it's easier, just as pretty and delicious, and there's no worrying about whether it will come out okay. Traditionally, though, it is taken out of the cups and served on a plate. If you'd like to do that, here's how (for extra insurance, you can lightly coat the cups with a neutral-flavored oil or spray before filling, but it's not necessary):
- Put the cup in a bowl of hot water for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Run a knife along the edges to loosen the panna cotta from the cup.
- Invert the cup onto the serving plate. If the panna cotta doesn't immediately release, gently tap on the bottom of the cup or give the cup a gentle shake back and forth.
- Remove the cup. Garnish as desired.
- If you plan to serve the panna cotta unmolded on a plate, I suggest using a wider and more shallow cup rather than a taller cup to make unmolding a bit easier.
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