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Baking » Panna Cotta with Spiced Pear Purée

Panna Cotta with Spiced Pear Purée

by Lynne Webb on November 17, 2014 (Updated February 25, 2023) // 2 Comments

Panna cotta is an easy-to-make Italian dessert with a silky, custard-like texture and rich, creamy flavor. It's easy to adapt by including seasonal ingredients too, and this recipe, with its cinnamon-spiced pear puree is the perfect finish for a fall feast.
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A single serving of panna cotta topped with pear puree in a clear glass.

Why We Love This Delicious Italian Dessert

Panna cotta (Italian for “cooked cream”) is a velvety-smooth Italian dessert that’s made by simmering cream, milk, and sugar together and adding gelatin to set it. The result is a creamy, silky custard that’s rich in flavor, but surprisingly light in texture. Panna cotta is different from other custards because it doesn’t require eggs, which makes it really easy to prepare.

You’ll sometimes see panna cotta chilled in molds, then unmolded for serving, but we like to serve it in glasses for a simpler, more casual approach. Our recipe includes a cinnamon-spiced pear puree as a delicious fall-inspired topping. Feel free to switch that out for berries, apples, or even a simple drizzle of honey combined with a sprinkling of orange zest.

How to Make Panna Cotta

  1. Place the water in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly on top. Stir gently and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes as you prepare the cream mixture.
  2. Heat the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely.
  3. Slowly pour the cream mixture into the gelatin mixture, stirring gently until the gelatin has dissolved completely into the cream.
  4. Transfer the panna cotta mixture into eight (8) individual serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate until firm (3 to 4 hours).
  5. Make the pear purée by placing the pears, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender and begin to break down.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, conventional blender, or food processor, purée the pear mixture until smooth (see notes). Stir in the cinnamon, transfer to a small bowl, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  7. Before you’re ready to serve, top each panna cotta portion with the pear purée.
Panna Cotta with Spiced Pear Purée

Panna Cotta with Spiced Pear Purée

5 from 1 vote
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Panna cotta is an easy-to-make Italian dessert with a silky, custard-like texture and rich, creamy flavor. It's easy to adapt by including seasonal ingredients too, and this recipe, with its cinnamon-spiced pear puree is the perfect finish for a fall feast.
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Chilling : 4 hours hrs
Cook Time : 20 minutes mins
Total Time : 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
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Ingredients 

For the gelatin:

  • 2 packets unflavored gelatin, about 5 teaspoons
  • 1/4 cup water

For the panna cotta:

  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the spiced pear purée:

  • 4 ripe pears, peeled and chopped
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste

Instructions 

  • Place the water in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly on top. Stir gently and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes as you prepare the cream mixture.
  • Heat the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely.
  • Slowly pour the cream mixture into the gelatin mixture, stirring gently until the gelatin is has dissolved completely into the cream.
  • Transfer the panna cotta mixture into eight (8) individual serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate until firm (3 to 4 hours).

Make the pear purée:

  • Place the pears, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender and begin to break down.
  • Remove from the heat and purée the mixture until smooth with an immersion or conventional blender, or a food processor (see notes). Stir in the cinnamon and transfer to a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serving:

  • When ready to serve, top each portion of panna cotta with the pear purée.

Recipe Notes

To achieve an extra-smooth texture for the pear puree, press it through a sieve or fine-mesh strainer before chilling.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Panna Cotta with Spiced Pear Purée
Amount per Serving
Calories
426
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
33
g
51
%
Saturated Fat
 
21
g
131
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
8
g
Cholesterol
 
105
mg
35
%
Sodium
 
41
mg
2
%
Potassium
 
240
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
 
29
g
10
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
24
g
27
%
Protein
 
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
 
1384
IU
28
%
Vitamin C
 
5
mg
6
%
Calcium
 
107
mg
11
%
Iron
 
0.3
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.

Author: Lynne Webb | 

Course: Baking & Desserts
 | 
Cuisine: Italian

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Comments

  1. Sarasu says

    September 1, 2023 at 8:04 pm

    You did not complete the directions as to how to serve the pan a cotta with the pear purée, for those of us who are amateurs.

    Reply
    • Lynne Webb says

      September 4, 2023 at 7:06 pm

      Hi Sarasu,
      Thank you for pointing out the oversight. I did update the recipe, but fyi the pear purée is added just before serving.

      Reply

Hi there! We’re Lynne & Erika, seasoned home cooks and recipe creators here at My Gourmet Connection. Our aim is to bring variety and new flavors to your everyday meals and we’ve got hundreds of recipes for you to explore. Welcome!

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