Panna cotta is pretty close to a perfect dessert in my book because a.) it is so fast and simple to make, b.) it can be made completely in advance, making it well-suited for entertaining, and c.) it never has to be boring since there are endless variations of flavors that can be made. This pistachio mint panna cotta with raspberry sauce combination is one of our favorites. Thompson claims he doesn’t like pistachios and I didn’t know how he would feel about the mint, but for the ENTIRE time he ate his portion, he kept saying things like “Mmmm! Mmmmm this is so good!” and “Mom, I really like this one”.
If you have never made panna cotta before, don’t be intimidated! It really is one of those desserts that just seems like it would be harder than it really is. I have found that a slightly deeper rather than shallow dish are a little easier to un-mold. If you are having issues though, there really is no problem with eating it straight out of the dish. It tastes just as delicious!
- FOR THE PANNA COTTA:
- ½ cup shelled pistachios
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup very loosely packed mint leaves
- FOR THE RASPBERRY SAUCE:
- 6 oz raspberries
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup sugar
- In a small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, then remove pan from heat and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add pistachios and pulse until very finely chopped.
- In a large saucepan heat pistachios, cream, half and half, sugar, and mint leaves over medium heat. Cook until just boiling, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture. Divide mixture among eight ½-cup ramekins (or whatever small dish you prefer). Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the sauce: in a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then cook for a 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Puree and set aside.
- For serving: dip ramekins one at a time into a bowl of hot water for just a few seconds. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert ramekin onto the center of a small plate. Serve with raspberry sauce.
Hi! Looks delicious, What do you do with the mint? Do you chop them? Take them out after boiling? Thank you