Strawberry Lemon Panna Cotta

This strawberry lemon panna cotta is not like the average vanilla one that you get at the end of a meal. This what the most luscious dreams are made of. Creamy, full-bodied, zesty, and so pretty with its split diagonal tone, this panna cotta is sure to impress. Not to mention, the shard of homemade almond brittle is the perfect cherry on top.

First, a random story:

I just wrapped up a whirlwind 5 week trip backpacking around 4 countries in South East Asia. On the first morning home, I woke up in my own bed and FREAKED out. In my groggy state, I brushed the crusty stuff out of my eyes and squinted at my surroundings. I couldn’t recognize anything! So naturally, my first thought was omg, I’ve been kidnapped. I started screaming for my sister. BECKS! BECKS! But she didn’t respond. I was terrified, THEY GOT BECKY TOO. Seriously, I was in FULL ON PANIC MODE!

I tried to find a doorway to get out (though in hindsight, walking out if I was kidnapped would be a pretty dumb move). Then my gaze fell on a bright yellow NorthFace backpack. HEY, I have a backpack JUST like that. My grogginess wore off and I began to come to. Oh, that is MY backpack. Oh right, I’m HOME. 

Yeah, I might have been just a littttttle loopy from jet lag. Just a little.

After that, I had the best sleep I’ve had in a while. It was such a relief to realize that I was safe and sound in my own freaking bed.

Note to self: The next time I leave home for 5 weeks, I’ll make a giant poster that says YOU ARE HOME, GO BACK TO SLEEP. DON’T FREAK OUT and stick it on my bedroom wall.

The components of these strawberry lemon panna cottas:

The light styled desserts in Asia reminded me of these strawberry lemon panna cottas that I made many moons ago. So what are we looking at here? I filled stemless wine glasses with two flavours of panna cotta then topped them with fresh sliced strawberries, mint leaves and a shard of homemade almond brittle. I’m all about the visual appeal. After all, we do eat with our eyes first.

1. Strawberry panna cotta

The strawberry panna cotta part is extremely light yet still creamy. It is probably because I used skim and buttermilk instead of cream. The acid in the buttermilk kept the natural pink colour vibrant and it also brought out more of the strawberry flavour.

2. Lemon panna cotta

The lemon panna cotta part was rich and thick, probably due to the large volume of heavy cream. It is so velvety that it melts in your mouth instantly. To get a strong lemon flavour without any added extracts/oils, I simmered the entire lemon peel with heavy cream over low heat to extract and concentrate the full flavour.

3. Homemade almond brittle

I love playing with textures when it comes to food. That’s how the almond brittle came about. I find it too boring when food is one texture, it’s too homogenous for me. Panna cotta, regardless of flavour and colour is always one gelatinous body. So, I decided to throw in something with major contrast: CRISPY, BUTTERY, CANDIED ALMOND BRITTLE.

These were a HUGE hit with my family, but that’s because they’re all weirdos and prefer anything that is not chocolate flavoured.

More panna cotta recipes:

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Strawberry lemon panna cotta recipe:

Strawberry Lemon Panna Cotta

Servings 4 - 8 oz glasses

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 10 hours hrs

Total Time 11 hours hrs

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Ingredients

  

Strawberry Panna Cotta

• 3 cups diced strawberries
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp gelatin
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Lemon Panna Cotta

• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 tsp gelatin
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Peel from 2 lemons
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Almond Brittle (optional)

• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• ½ tsp butter
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp baking soda

Instructions

 

Strawberry Panna Cotta

• Blend strawberries, buttermilk and sugar until smooth
• Then pour through fine sieve into medium bowl, to discard the seeds
• In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over milk and let stand 1 minute to soften
• In a small pot, bring cream to boil. Remove from heat and add gelatin-milk mixture, stirring until dissolved
• Whisk cream mixture into strawberry purée and pour into glasses at an angle to achieve the diagonal look
• Chill in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours

Lemon Panna Cotta

• Pour 1/4 cup milk into a medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and let sit until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
• In a large pot, combine cream, sugar, lemon peel, and remaining 1/4 cup milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves.
• Stir in vanilla bean paste.
• Remove from heat; cover with lid and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Bring cream mixture back to a simmer. Add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Strain through sieve to discard peels.
• Pour over the set strawberry panna cotta
• Chill uncovered until panna cotta is set, at least 6 hours

Almond Brittle (optional)

• Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat
• In large bowl, stir together the corn syrup and sugar
• Place in the microwave on high for 3 minutes
• Stir in sliced almonds and salt
• Return the mixture to the microwave for another 2½ minutes, keep close watch to prevent burning!
• Next, stir in the butter and vanilla. Microwave for another 30 seconds.
• Remove from the microwave and stir in baking soda - it will foam up!
• Immediately pour out mixture onto baking sheet and spread out with spatula
• Let set until cool, about 20 minutes, then break into shards

Author: chocolate + connie

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lemon, panna cotta, strawberry

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and tag @chocolateandconnie on Instagram.

Credit where credit is due:

I majorly adapted the panna cotta recipes, but I used the almond brittle recipe exactly as I found it.
Strawberry panna cotta – Epicurious
Lemon panna cotta – Epicurious
Almond Brittle – Table for Two