From Nigel's Kitchen Table

Raspberry Lime Panna Cotta

Recipe by Nigel Clease Kitchen-tested

Desserts & Puddings 4 min read

A light, creamy Italian panna cotta flavoured with lime and served with fresh raspberries and raspberry coulis.

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Raspberry lime panna cotta is a go-to summer Italian dessert recipe. A light, creamy set pudding with sharp fresh summer raspberries, coulis and my moreish lemon biscuits.

This panna cotta is infused with lime and topped with fresh sharp raspberries for that ultimate fresh summer taste, deliciously sweet and easy to make this is a no-bake dessert you’ll want to make time and time again. I know some people get intimidated when they read “gelatine” in the list of ingredients, but if you follow my recipe, you will become a panna cotta expert.

Many recipes call for turning the panna cotta out onto a dish. Instead, I filled some simple glasses with it, let it set and served it with fresh raspberries piled on top with a delicious easy no-cook coulis.

INGREDIENTS

For this recipe, all you need are these ingredients:

Leaf gelatine or powdered
Double or heavy cream
Caster or granulated white sugar
Lime
Pure vanilla extract or paste
Whole milk
Fresh raspberries
Icing sugar

Salt – I highly recommend adding a good pinch of salt to your desserts. Salt helps balance out the sweetness and richness. It also elevates the other ingredients, bringing out the best characteristics of any recipe. In a seemingly absurd or contradictory way, salt intensifies the mouths’ ability to taste sweetness. It is the sodium that sends signals to move glucose into the sweet taste receptor cells in our tongue. The result is that salt not only alerts our ‘salt sensitivity’, but also our ‘sweet sensitive’ taste buds. I recommend Maldon Sea salt flakes or Cornish sea salt.

WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE?

Fruit: For the summer months try it with strawberries or blueberries and the autumn with stewed apples, poached pears or a spicey fruit compote.

NUTRITION

Serving: one portion (excluding moreish lemon biscuits)

Raspberry Lime Panna Cotta – preparation step 4

STORAGE AND FREEZING

Panna cotta is best eaten on the day of making it, but if you’re making your panna cotta for a party in a few days time or you have leftovers, you’ll be happy to know that it can last 3 days in the fridge covered in cling film.Freezing: Not suitable.

Raspberry Lime Panna Cotta – preparation step 2

EQUIPMENT SUGGESTIONS

Milk Saucepan, 1 Litre With Double Sided Pouring Lips

This small pan is a great size for boiling small amounts of liquids and it has pouring lips built into the rim of the saucepan which makes it easy to use.

Dessert Glasses, Set of 6, 300 ml

These glasses are perfect for making individual desserts for a nice dinner with friends or family. Plus if you are not using them for dessert you can use them for serving whisky 🙂

White Porcelain Ramekins, 175ML Baking Cups – Durable Pack of 6

I love these for serving hot and cold individual desserts – soufflés, creme brûlée, lava cakes, custards, puddings and ice cream.

Raspberry Lime Panna Cotta – Revision

Preparation:5

Baking:10

Chilling:4

Total:4 15

Servings: 4 servings

Raspberry lime panna cotta is a go-to summer Italian dessert. A light, creamy set pudding with sharp fresh summer raspberries and coulis.

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INGREDIENTS LIST

5 sheets gelatine (see notes on powdered gelatine)
250 ml double or heavy cream
60 g caster sugar
1 piece lime zested (lime juice for coulis)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
250 ml milk

Raspberry coulis

200 g fresh raspberries
3 tbsp icing sugar (US powdered sugar)

Decoration

50 g fresh raspberries

Preparation

In a small bowl, soak the gelatine leaves to hydrate in cold water until soft.
In a medium saucepan, add the cream, rind of the lime, sugar and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring all the time until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the cream from the heat, drain the gelatine from the water and add to the saucepan and stir well until dissolved.
Add the milk to the saucepan and stir well.
Pour the mixture into four containers, such as either glasses, ramekins, small cups or yoghurt pots. Chill for at least 3-4 hours.
Coulis: Place 200g fresh raspberries, lime juice and 3 tablespoons of icing sugar into a small food processor or use a stick blender to blitz until very smooth.
Tip the mixture into the sieve over a bowl and push through the liquid using the back of a spoon or spatula, removing all the seeds.
Assembly: If you are going to turn out the panna cotta, dip each container briefly in boiling water and invert onto plates.
Top with fresh raspberries and coulis to serve.
And, if like me, bake some delicious moreish lemon biscuits to go on the side or make some mini ones to decorate.

Notes & Tips

What is gelatine: It is a thickening agent made from either collagen (a protein found in animal connective tissue and bone) or certain algae known as agar-agar. Both leaf and granules have been dehydrated and must be rehydrated in order to use them.

Using gelatine sheets vs. powder: These two forms of gelatine are quite different and therefore there are different methods in using them in recipes. Always make sure you follow your gelatine packet instructions carefully to ensure your recipe sets properly.

If you want to substitute sheets for powder: This panna cotta recipe has about 500ml of liquid and therefore I use 5 sheets or 5 grams (11/2 teaspoons) powder for a soft set.

As a guide 6 sheets or 1 envelope of 7g (0.25 ounce) powdered gelatine will:

FIRMLY set 500ml (2 cups of liquid)/ This will set firmly and allow the unmoulding of a dessert such as a no-bake cheesecake or delice.

SOFTLY set 750ml (3 cups of liquid). This type of dessert you will not be able to unmould. (I typically use this for desserts I serve in glasses, like my panna cotta.)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS

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