Holiday Ale Panna Cotta
Oftentimes, after a buffet or a multicourse dinner, a heavy dessert is the dish that puts one over the proverbial edge. Rich and dense chocolate desserts fall into this category. However, a few bites of this light-milk Jell-O Holiday Ale Panna Cotta, with its full winter flavors coming from a Holiday Ale, will tease the tongue and satisfy the already full stomach.
What is a Panna Cotta? This dessert originates from Italy, usually made with milk, but could be made with an alternative milk (oat | coconut | nut milk), sugar, gelatin and (depending on the design of flavors) vanilla extract or other flavoring option. Sometimes you might see a buttermilk panna cotta, adding a slight tartness and tang to this silky, chilled dessert, that is often un-molded and topped with a syrup, fruit sauce | purée, or in this case a Cherry Flanders Red Sauce, very similar to a fruit compote. The jello like dessert is different than a Mexican Flan, as that is baked and has a caramel syrup sauce that is prepared before the dessert hits the oven.
Using beer as a flavoring is how I designed this recipe. A chilled beer dessert can be used for many different types of beer dinners. As the beer is mostly water with some alcohol, I used whole milk for my first version or test batch. The results surprised me, as beer has acid. With the byproduct of fermentation, the pH can range from 3.1 to 4 percent, which can curdle milk. This first test batch curdled and the texture wasn’t right, yet the flavor was there. I have made in years past a half & half version of panna cotta, resulting in a more creamy end result. Using a higher fat content dairy product, in this final recipe heavy whipping cream, the beer thins out the cream, while not losing the flavor by being muted with the fat. The end result was delicious. I used Anchor Brewing Co. Our Special Ale, a ever changing holiday brew, that has its own unique spice addition to a roasty porterish like grain bill. The results are always a surprise each year with its seasonal release. Any Holiday or spiced ale could work for this recipe, even a Wassail.
What is also great about making this Holiday Ale Panna Cotta is, it should be made in advance, preferably the day before and up to 5 days in advance. It is easy to make, travels well and the results are always tasty! This is another recipe that cooks with beer and showcases Beer Cuisine. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did making it for you.
Serves: 8 guests
Makes: 32 ounces or 8 four ounce servings
Adapted from BeerAdvocate Magazine: Cuisine à la Bière | Dec 2008 | Issue #23
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 guests | 10 minute |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 20 minute | 4 hour |
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A delicate, light and full of flavor, this panna cotta dessert is infused with vanilla and all the flavors from a holiday ale.
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- 2 1/4 teaspoon gelatin, unflavored, equal to one package | envelope
- 10 ounce Holiday Spiced Ale, such as Anchor Brewing Christmas Ale or other *
- 1/4 cup sugar such as Soft Belgian Candi Sugar - Brown, organic sugar or maple syrup
- 2 cup cream, heavy preferably organic
- 1 each vanilla bean, split in half, available at Beer, Beer and More Beer
- 1 each cinnamon stick, whole
- 1 pinch salt, kosher
- 1 recipe Cherry Flanders Red Sauce, recipe here
- In a small saucepan, add the gelatin and 2 ounces of ale, mixing to combine, letting the gelatin bloom for 2 minutes. Place the pan over low heat and warm the mixture to melt the gelatin.
- Add the remaining ale, cream, sugar of choice, vanilla bean, cinnamon and salt to a large saucepan and place over low heat. Slowly bring this mixture to a simmer, infusing the flavors of the vanilla bean and ale in with the cream. Turn heat off and let sit for 15 minutes. Bring mixture back to a simmer, remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean (rinse and dry, adding to a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar) and add the gelatin, mixing to combine.
- Pour this mixture into eight serving containers; either ramekins if the dessert will be unmolded on a plate, or a beer glass or other small bowl. Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to up to three days in advance.
- If unmolding, dip each ramekin into a bowl of hot water for 20 seconds, then dip a paring knife into the hot water, heating the blade; wipe clean and carefully run the edge around the diameter of the dish. Invert a serving plate atop the ramekin and flip both, giving a light wiggle, helping the panna cotta release. Serve by itself or top with a spoonful of Cherry Flanders Red SauceCherry Sauce.
Holiday Ale Panna Cotta Recipe Variations:
To extenuate subtle flavors in the beer, play with different sugars. With light | dark brown sugar, sugar in the raw, Belgian Soft Candi Sugar, Palm Sugar
More Beer Dessert Recipes:
