Creamy Panna Cotta with Passion Fruit Caramel

Ingredients

• 0.625 cup half and half (or milk; 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
• 2 envelope gelatin (5 tsp total)
• 1 qt heavy cream (4 cups)
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1.25 cup condensed milk (sweetened)
• salt (pinch)
• 0.25 cup cane sugar
• 1 orange (zest only)
• 8 oz mascarpone
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 cup frozen passion fruit chunks
• 0.66 cup cane sugar (for caramel; 2/3 cup)
• 3 tbsp butter
• fresh passion fruit (for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Add the half and half or milk to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the liquid and let it bloom for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   In a pot, combine the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, condensed milk, salt, 1/4 cup cane sugar, and orange zest.

3. 3

   Heat the cream mixture over medium heat until hot, but do not let it reach a boil.

4. 4

   Once hot, carefully whisk in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved. Tip: Avoid touching the bottom of the pot with the whisk to prevent scraping. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

5. 5

   In a large separate bowl, add the mascarpone and sour cream. Whisk together until smooth and well incorporated.

6. 6

   Strain the warm cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture a little bit at a time, whisking constantly to ensure there are no lumps.

7. 7

   Divide the mixture into 8 single-serve cups.

8. 8

   Place the cups in the fridge and let them sit for at least 6 hours, or ideally overnight, to set completely.

9. 9

   To make the caramel, add the frozen passion fruit chunks and 2/3 cup cane sugar to a saucepan.

10. 10

    Bring the mixture to a boil and let it thicken until it is syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon.

11. 11

    Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and glossy.

12. 12

    To serve, smear some of the passion fruit caramel onto a plate. Unmold the panna cotta onto the caramel and top with fresh passion fruit.

Notes

When whisking in the gelatin, be careful not to touch the bottom of your pot so you don't scrape it. This recipe is a non-traditional variation developed for maximum creaminess using mascarpone and condensed milk.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• panna cotta
• passion fruit
• make-ahead
• no-bake
• creamy
• fruit caramel