Roasted beet panna cotta is a lush pudding-like dessert with an absolutely stunning color. Dare I say it has potential to convert beet haters into men of uncertainty (‘hmm.. what else have I been missing..”)?
I have a soft spot for this Roasted Beet Panna Cotta. It reminds me of a dessert-like salad we used to eat in Russia – with beets, sour cream, walnuts and prunes. When I came across the recipe in Farm-To-Table Desserts by Lei Shishak, one of my favorite cook books, I immediately knew it was going to be lovely.
One thing I didn’t harbor hope for is any interest from my kids. So you can imagine my surprise when they demanded to lick the mixing pot, and all three of them ate up their jars after dinner, like they’ve never stuck their noses up at the sight of a beet.
REAL FOOD FOR REAL LIFE
Fresh cream, caramel-like local beets, and grass-fed gelatin (all with just a small touch of sugar!) make this roasted beet panna cotta as nourishing as it is beautiful. And of course I love that the longest prep step is hands-off — roasting the beets.
HOW TO MAKE ROASTED BEET PANNA COTTA
Ingredients:
1 pound beets, destemmed and washed (about 2 medium)
1.5 teaspoons powdered grass-fed gelatin (I use Great Lakes gelatin)
2 tablespoons water
2 cups heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish with: toasted walnuts, soaked prunes, whipped cream.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Wrap each beet in foil and roast for one hour on a baking sheet, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove beets from the oven, unwrap and let cool.
Mix 1.5 teaspoons gelatin and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, leave to soften for 5 minutes.
Peel the beets and place them in a blender (preferably high-powdered) with 1 cup heavy cream. Puree until smooth.
Mix the remaining 1 cup cream with 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a medium pot. Warm on medium heat until hot but not boiling.
Add softened gelatin, remove from heat, stir until dissolved.
Add pureed beet mixture and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to the pot, stir until combined. Pour into serving dishes of your choice, allow to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Roasted Beet Panna Cotta
Ingredients
- 1 pound beets destemmed and washed (about 2 medium)
- 1.5 teaspoons powdered gelatin I use Great Lakes gelatin
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cups heavy cream not ultra-pasteurized
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
GARNISH WITH
- Toasted walnuts, soaked prunes, whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Wrap each beet in foil and roast for one hour on a baking sheet, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove beets from the oven, unwrap and let cool.
- Mix 1.5 teaspoons gelatin and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, leave to soften for 5 minutes.
- Peel the beets and place them in a blender (preferably high-powdered) with 1 cup heavy cream. Puree until smooth.
- Mix the remaining 1 cup cream with 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a medium pot. Warm on medium heat until hot but not boiling.
- Add softened gelatin, remove from heat, stir until dissolved.
- Add pureed beet mixture and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to the pot, stir until combined. Pour into serving dishes of your choice, allow to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
