Coconut Panna Cotta

Have you ever had something that was just so gosh darned good that you couldn’t stop at one? Well, I had three of these coconut panna cotta, one after another, and my hand is hovering over the fourth. The first panna cotta was purely for testing purposes—ahem, you know, to check the consistency and the ease of removal from the ramekin.The second was to test the lovely molded cream with the peanut brittle. You have to the test the complete recipe, right? The third? Well, I had some fresh blueberries and local honey and thought the combination may make a nice variation—and it did. I’m wondering now about a dribble of this hot chocolate sauce. The coconut is such a light flavor, it pairs with endless toppings. If you opt for the peanut brittle topping, be sure and watch that caramel. Depending on your stove and the size of your pot, it could be done in as little as 5 minutes. I found that I liked the peanut brittle crushed a bit before sprinkling over the panna cotta.

This may be the easiest panna cotta I have made. This is a lovely, rich panna cotta. The flavor of the coconut comes through so well with just the coconut milk and no need for extract. I took this to a summer gathering and made the candied peanut brittle and also offered chopped pistachio nuts as an alternative topping. The brittle disappeared so quickly I barely got some for myself as it was passed around the table. 

Because I was making this to transport to a dinner party, I made the panna cotta in little glass jars (they were 5 ounces each so I filled them not quite to the top) and I filled a single 4-ounce ramekin to test how easily the panna cotta would turn out of the vessel. Everyone devoured them. 

When making the brittle, I may have been overly cautious, working at a lower heat so it took a little longer to caramelize, but it all worked fine. (I am careful around hot sugar. I had a brittle-making accident years ago and I have not forgotten the sugar burn.) I used a very heavy stainless-steel skillet. I might try roughly chopping the nuts before making the brittle to get smaller pieces and let it spread out. I had unsalted peanuts when I shelled them, so I sprinkled a bit of Maldon sea salt flakes on top and would definitely do that again.

This was so delicious! And so easy! I’m in love! The coconut panna cotta recipe was straightforward and almost 100% accurate. The only discrepancy was that it took closer to 5 hours for my panna cotta to set (perhaps my refrigerator is a tad warm?), so we had dessert a little later than planned. I was blown away by the simplicity of this luscious dessert and its perfect flavor. It was perfectly sweetened and just coconut-y enough—a fine balance, as desserts can easily become overpowered by sweetness or overwhelmed by coconut. The candied peanuts were the icing on toppa the cotta. That sweet and salty crunch made for an incredibly satisfying dessert. I will make it again!

I was impressed with the texture of this coconut panna cotta, as that’s always a crapshoot depending on which panna cotta recipe you use. I’m not a fan of panna cotta that’s too gelatinous, and this one was lovely, smooth, and soft while still holding its shape. Also, those candied nuts? Hold me back. I seriously cannot make them again because most of them didn’t make it to the dessert. I found the dish to be very sweet—perhaps it should be served in tiny portions or made with less sugar next time? I used cashews, and the caramelization took 15 minutes—the caramel was not that dark, but it was very sticky. Next time, I need to work much more quickly because when I removed the skillet from the heat and stirred in the nuts, they all clumped.

Move over limoncello panna cotta, my go-to and, until now, favorite panna cotta. Another panna cotta has taken your place in my heart. As my husband declared after one bite, “This is dangerous.” And then after the second bite, “This is really very dangerous.” I couldn’t agree more. This coconut panna cotta is absolutely delicious. Creamy, soft, silken, succulent, satisfying…that should say it all. What also needs to be said that it is so very, very easy to make. No work at all for such a spectacular result. The gelatin “blooms” while you mix a few other ingredients, then you add the gelatin mixture, stir, pour it into ramekins, and put it in the refrigerator. After 4 hours, my panna cotta was firm enough to eat, but those that were in the refrigerator overnight were much better. Next time, I will either make them earlier in the day or make them the night before. I did make the candied peanut brittle, but I didn’t enjoy it with the panna cotta. I feel that it took away from the loveliness of the panna cotta. Perhaps I will just serve the panna cotta with some fresh berries next time. And I made half a recipe, not wanting 8 panna cottas sitting around to tempt the two of us, and I ended up with 5 panna cottas instead of 4. That did not prove to be a problem.