Grapefruit and vanilla bean panna cotta takes tangy and bitter grapefruit and tames it with cool, creamy vanilla-scented panna cotta. Juice replaces some of the cream, making it light in texture but intense in flavor.
Adapted from Faith Durand | Bakeless Sweets | Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2013
I feel like it’s only fair for me to warn you about this panna cotta. It’s not for everyone. The first taste brings a powerful intensity of grapefruit flavor—tart and more than a little bitter—followed by the smooth, sweet, vanilla-scented cream. For me, this marriage of tart and sweet, bitter and smooth, is completely addictive. My friend Devon, a wonderful pastry chef, taught me that not all panna cotta has to be made of milk and cream. You can replace some of the dairy in a panna cotta with fruit juice for a lighter, fresher taste and texture, as I do here. Be sure to use a grapefruit juice with no added sugar or flavorings. If you would prefer another flavor, nearly any juice will do—apple, grape, cranberry. You can even use iced green tea.–Faith Durand
CAN I MAKE PANNA COTTA AHEAD OF TIME?
In addition to everything else this lovely little recipe has going for it, there’s something else that hasn’t been mentioned yet. It requires no oven and can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. It’s perfect for crazy holidays when the stove is already spoken for, as well as casual summer entertaining.
☞ Contents
Grapefruit and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Equipment
- Ramekins or dessert glasses
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pulp-free pink grapefruit juice
- 2 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar or to taste
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger or to taste
- Fresh grapefruit segments for serving (optional)
- Mint sprigs for serving (optional)
Directions
- Pour the grapefruit juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Set the pan aside, off the heat, for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to soften.
- Place the pan of grapefruit and gelatin over medium heat and warm it gently, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, warm the cream and sugar in a separate saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. If using the vanilla bean, split it and scrape the seeds into the pan and toss the pod in as well, then whisk to incorporate. If using vanilla extract, do not add it yet. Remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the grapefruit juice and gelatin mixture into the cream mixture. Taste to check sweetness; if necessary, add more sugar. Stir in the salt, ginger, and vanilla extract, if using, and whisk vigorously. Remove the vanilla bean pod if needed. Taste and adjust the amount of ginger accordingly.
- Divvy the panna cotta mixture among 6 ramekins or dessert glasses. Loosely cover the panna cotta with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight, especially if you plan to unmold it. If desired, garnish each serving with a peeled segment of grapefruit and a short sprig of mint.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Wow! The grapefruit and vanilla bean panna cotta is certainly tart (and is a beautiful color!) thanks to that lovely pink grapefruit juice, but the sweet cream finish is just delightful. It reminds me a bit of a grown-up version of a Creamsicle—if a Creamsicle was made with grapefruit. Since I’m not the biggest grapefruit fan, I knew I’d need to add more sugar, which I did after stirring in the salt and ginger. I added an additional tablespoon sugar, and I think I could’ve added another plus a wee bit more ginger.
I used vanilla extract and I wonder if I wouldn’t have needed to add extra sugar had I used a vanilla bean. I also found that I enjoyed the panna cotta more after refrigerating it overnight, as its tart edge mellowed just a bit. I’ll definitely make this again, but I’ll probably use freshly squeezed orange juice for a full-on Creamsicle experience.
While I appreciate the warning that accompanies this recipe, I don’t feel that it’s necessary. The combination of vanilla and citrus pairs together very naturally and deliciously. The flavors were incredibly well-balanced and I think they were great for the warmer months.
I’m not a dessert maker, as I usually feel like spending my time making something for dinner versus something for after dinner, but there’s almost no hands-on time with this recipe, and it’s better if it sets up overnight. There’s no need to be intimidated by panna cotta.
I halved the recipe, and therefore cut the amount of gelatin in half, yet my desserts refused to set up completely; in the future I’ll still use the full amount of gelatin regardless of how large a batch I make. I used a whole vanilla bean, and I think this was crucial for that pure vanilla flavor to shine through; plus, all those little specks of vanilla just look nice. This is a fairly straightforward, simple recipe that can be played around with in the flavor department. Clearly, I’m one of those few who this grapefruit and vanilla bean panna cotta was made for.
This recipe was quick and easy to make. For sugar, I used white castor sugar, which dissolved easily. The grapefruit and vanilla bean panna cotta set well and was able to be turned out onto a plate after a few hours in the fridge, retaining the characteristic wobble when turned out.
To maintain a good shape, I’d recommend setting the panna cotta in a tallish narrow container, rather than a wider shallow one, as the latter produces a panna cotta that splays under its own weight. I thought that the resulting panna cotta had a good taste and was appropriately sweet.
I’ve been wanting to make panna cotta for quite a while and jumped at the chance to test the grapefruit and vanilla bean panna cotta recipe. This is a dessert that’s a snap to put together with ordinary pantry items. I made the recipe as directed and my testers found it to be quite refreshing.
There was that initial sharp/tart taste of grapefruit. The second spoonful wasn’t as sharp and the subtle taste of vanilla hit your tongue then. It was creamy and not cloying. I’ll definitely make this again and try different flavorings.
I did increase the sugar by 2 tablespoons because the grapefruit juice was a little too bitter when I tasted it. Also, the addition of the ginger did nothing to enhance the recipe. The grapefruit and vanilla overpowered it. Overall, it was a very refreshing summer dessert.
Originally published June 22, 2013
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Hi, I’m always trying to find a way to add our year round [live in Brazil] available citrus fruits to dessert recipes in general. For instance, I usually make a Tangerine/Olive oil/Coconut milk sorbet and I would like to try this mix in a Panna Cotta. My question is: is there any chance of the citric acid to curdle the cream/milk mix??? – I was thinking of making a syrup with part of the sugar and tangerine or lime juice, and than add to the rest…but after seeing this recipe where the juice is used directly (with gelatin) I wonder if it can avoid that ‘buttermilk’ effect, especially if using lemon or lime juice. Any tip?
Hi Jorge, the easiest way to bring that citrus flavor to the panna cotta is by adding some finely grated zest.
Thanks so much for the reviews, kind testers! I’m so glad you liked it. This is one of my favorite panna cotta recipes in the world. A note on the ginger: It’s a very small amount by intention. I didn’t mean for the ginger to come through explicitly; it just adds a little backup note to the grapefruit, enhancing the flavor. Vanilla and grapefruit are really the dominant flavors, but the ginger gives them backbone.