Coconut-Cardamom Panna Cotta

Coconut-Cardamom Panna Cotta
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes, plus 2 hours’ refrigeration
Rating
4(233)
Notes
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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

    For the Panna Cotta

    • cups half-and-half
    • ¼cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 3cardamom pods, smashed
    • teaspoon salt
    • 1cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
    • teaspoons powdered gelatin

    For Garnish

    • ½cup blackberries or raspberries, or a mixture
    • 2teaspoons sugar
    • ½teaspoon grated ginger
    • 2small nectarines or peaches, optional
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

234 calories; 15 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 92 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small saucepan, warm the half-and-half over medium-low heat. Do not allow to simmer. Add sugar, stir to dissolve, then add cardamom and salt. Turn off heat and let cool. Stir in coconut milk.

  2. Step 2

    Put gelatin in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons cold water. Let dissolve, about 5 minutes, then add to half-and-half mixture; stir well. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a pitcher. Pour mixture into six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. (May be made several hours or up to a day in advance.)

  3. Step 3

    Put berries in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar and grated ginger. Mix gently and macerate 10 minutes. Add slices of nectarine or peach, if desired. To serve, run a knife around edge of ramekin, then invert ramekin over dish. Shake gently to unmold. Surround panna cotta with fruit, or serve in ramekin with fruit on top.

Ratings

4 out of 5
233 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

3 things:

1). I used all coconut milk and slightly less sugar - it was delicious

2) I had more berries so I used them all and they overwhelmed the pana cotta - so hold back and eat the berries another way

3). I always soften the gelatin by sprinkling it on top of a col liquid and then I do add it to the hot liquid to melt - that is essential. Having done this by habit, it worked perfectly.

I followed the recipe "to the letter." But it never gelled. I looked up Panna Cotta recipes online and they always heat the mixture.
Mine was in the fridge all night and was still liquid. At first I thought maybe my gelatin was old (if that is possible?) so I added a little more but that wasn't it.
Finally, I poured it into a pan and heated it. That did the trick. It was very good with frozen organic sweet cherries on top.

It means the whole pod, crushed up (I used a mortar and pestle). The little seeds pop out when you crush the pods, so you can crush them, too. Then you just pour all of that into the warm half-and-half, and let it steep for a while so that it beocmes infused with flavor. Later, you will strain out all the cardamom bits and be left with a nice silky panna cotta.

I experienced the same problem as Nancy Caravan that it did not set when I followed directions. I reheated as suggested but still did not set as much as it should. I should have followed suggestion of adding more gelatin. Hence my low star rating. This is the first recipe that I have rated was a 2 stars from NYT.

Flavors are very good. Will try again, but use directions and gelatin amounts from another panna cotta recipe I have had success with.

2.25 teaspoons of gelatin in 2.5 tablespoons of water Bring half & half and coconut milk just to boil and then add proofed gelatin.

This recipe was phenomenal. Now my favorite panna cotta that I’ve made. Served it with fresh mango and blueberries.

Made this as written, THEN read the notes. Pulled it out of the fridge immediately and emptied into saucepan to heat a bit, and as I did so I could see all the grains of undesolved gelatin that had floated to the bottom of the ramekins. Lesson learned.

Great flavor but mine never set either. Perhaps the sieve removed too much gelatin along with the cardamom seeds. Panna cotta soup, anyone? Will try it again

Mine did not set, either. One of the people who wrote a note suggested heating the gelatin after dissolving it in cold water, and she was right. The Joy of Cooking instructions include soaking the gelatin in cold water and waiting for it to absorb the water and then adding it to liquid just at THE BOILING POINT. I would hope that the recipe is modified soon, so no one else serves their family a liquid dessert.

Sprinkle gelatin on top of cold water first. Then add to hot liquid to melt.

Perfect dessert after ribs-slaw-cornbread dinner. Heated coconut milk w/Half and Half. Recommend using more cardamom pods for more flavor, and adding to liquids while they heat. Followed suggestion to pre-soak gelatin in a few TBS of water before adding to warm liquid. Worked great. Delicious now that berries and nectarines are in season.

Delicious as a cold soup. Made according to the directions, but, as others indicated, it did not set.

I decreased the sugar by half a tablespoon and the panna cotta was still way too sweet.

As noted by others, the recipe doesn’t work as written. Bloomed gelatin must be added to hot liquid - heat up to near simmer after adding coconut milk. Use 1-1.5 envelopes of gelatin. With these changes, it was delicious! If I make again, I will use light coconut milk. With full fat, I had to skim off a lot of coconut oil to avoid a layer of grease.

Based on previous comments, I increased gelatin to 2tsps. The panna cotta set just fine but left it in the fridge overnight.

Help please. What is half and half?

Half-and-half is an equal-parts combination of milk and cream - so it's lighter than cream, but heavier than milk. You will find it in cartons in the dairy section of any grocery store.

I used a .25 oz packet of knox gelatin and 1 cup canned coconut milk, which I mixed together while warming the other ingredients. Then added all together without allowing the pot to cool. Panna cotta set quickly and was firm in 2 hours, but there was a thin layer of coconut cream that floated to the surface - not noticeable on plate and still delicious! Didn't have cardamom pods so used half a tablespoon ground cardamom - probably too much, but I liked the strong, distinctive flavor anyway.

I increased the amount of gelatin due to the advice from other people who have attempted this recipe. Even with the added gelatin, the panna cotta didn’t set. Waste of time and ingredients.

After reading the reviews, I made this with almost double the amount of gelatin. I also used coconut cream instead of coconut milk for more richness. It was a light, creamy and was just set enough to come out of the ramekins. I did noticed a thin layer of coconut oil on top from the coconut cream (before inverting). For the fruit, I used a mix of strawberries and raspberries which gave it a nice tart contrast.

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