In the scheme of desserts, panna cotta is not only one of the lightest, it’s thankfully also one of the easiest and fastest to prepare. The eggless custard sets with gelatin, but what really matters is the quantity used. If you have a heavy hand, then the result is more like cement Jell-O than melt-in-your-mouth. The infusion of the almonds adds a nutty-creamy flavor that’s satisfying without being cloying. Roasted pears set the whole thing off with a balance of texture and fruitiness.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Maple Roasted Pears
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Step 2
Put the almonds in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are coarsely chopped. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Combine the cream and sugar in a pot over medium heat. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean and add to the cream mixture; put the pod in there too for extra flavor. Simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until steam rises from the top of the pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts and salt. Cover and let the nuts steep in the cream for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 3 minutes to soften, then remove and squeeze out the excess water (if using powdered gelatin, no need to strain out the water).
Step 5
Pass the almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all of the almond flavor. Discard the solids. Add the softened gelatin while the mixture is still warm, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the buttermilk.
Step 6
Carefully fill 6 straight-sided rocks glasses halfway with the custard; pour carefully so you don’t get schmutz on the sides of the glasses. Cover loosely and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 8 hours or, even better, overnight.
Step 7
To serve, set a couple of roasted pear wedges on top of each chilled panna cotta. Garnish with candied almonds.
Maple Roasted Pears
Step 8
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Step 9
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin from the pears. Slice each pear into 6 wedges and carefully cut out the core with a paring knife.
Step 10
In a mixing bowl, combine the molasses, sugar, syrup, brandy, and vanilla. Add the pear wedges, tossing to coat. Dump the pears onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes total, turning the pears with tongs halfway through cooking, until they are soft and brown. Remove from the oven and cool until warm. Save the caramel left on the baking sheet; it’s terrific drizzled on ice cream.
