Peach panna cotta

Smooth and creamy, with a delicate peach flavor, peach panna cotta is such a great summer dessert. It takes just a short prep time, it's made ahead and there's no heating up the kitchen. All you need now is an excuse to make it.

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I love peach season. I have always been a big fruit fan in general, but some fruits are just so much better in their peak season, and peaches/nectarines are one of them.

A ripe peach is of course delicious just as it is, but I also love making other dishes with them. It doesn't need to be complicated, as my grilled peaches with mascarpone or peach chia pudding show. Though my peach and pistachio tart is incredibly good, too, if you're up for a little more work.

This tasty dessert is wonderfully easy, but without being simply pieces of fruit with a few additions. Instead, the peaches are more hidden, but they add a lovely delicate fruitiness.

What is panna cotta?

Panna cotta is a simple Italian dessert that translates as "cooked cream". The origins are a little unclear but the most common story is it was created by a Hungarian woman in Langhe, Piedmont, in the 19th century.

Panna cotta is essentially a set cream dessert that uses gelatin so it holds firm, but still stays a lovely creamy texture. Normally it's simply flavored with vanilla, but you find other flavors, too like chocolate panna cotta and lemon panna cotta.

Versions with fruit mixed in seem less common, but I've tried a few versions and enjoyed them, with some like mango panna cotta being a big favorite. And we love this peach version too.

The ingredients

You only need a few ingredients for this tasty dessert:

• Cream - use heavy/double cream to give a lovely rich, creamy base to the dish.
• Milk - this balances out the cream a little, though I do still suggest using whole milk.
• Peach - you can use yellow or white peaches for this, or even tinned or frozen if out of season (just defrost them first). Though personally, I think fresh gives the best flavor, as long as they are ripe. The color you use will make the end dessert either a pale yellow or off-white.
• Gelatin - this is what helps the dessert to set. You want to use enough to have it slightly firm but not so much it loses the creaminess and is more jello/jelly like. So if you scale the quantities, make sure you scale everything evenly as what is listed here works well. You could substitute with agar-agar powder, though I haven't tested to check if the quantity is exactly the same or not.
• Maple syrup - the peach already adds some sweetness and this is not a very sweet dessert. But just a little adds just enough sweetness, as well as a bit of flavor. You could also use honey, though take care in warming it, or sugar.

How to make peach panna cotta

This is easy to make as you have three simple things to prepare then you combine them. I know this might seem like a few dishes, but believe me this helps everything come together smoothly.

First, sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and leave it to bloom as you prepare the other parts. Then, peel and blend up the peach into a smooth puree. Finally, warm the cream and maple syrup gently in a small saucepan until it's just starting to bubble around the edges.

Then, you combine. Start by adding the milk mixture to the warm cream and stir so the heat dissolves the gelatin. If needed, warm a little on the stove again to dissolve but you want to make sure the mixture is not too hot when you add the fruit or it could curdle.

Once you no longer see gelatin crystals, mix in the peach puree then divide between dishes. Cover and chill them in the fridge to set firm before serving.

Serving this dessert

You can serve this in a few different ways depending on your preference and what you have. You can take this out of the moulds to serve but you don't have to, of course. If you plan to leave in the dishes, then I suggest using some nice glasses or jars so you can see the nice pale peachy color.

It's lovely just as it is, but also works well served with some caramelized peaches (as in most of the photos here) or with a peach puree/compote on top to highlight the peach flavor. Alternatively, I have served it with some fresh passion fruit as a kind of garnish (as above) which makes a lovely sweet-tart pairing, too (and looks pretty).

One of the great things about this is you need to make it ahead anyway, so it's perfect for serving a group as there is minimal effort at the time. Simply scale the recipe to as many servings as you need.

If you need more ideas for peaches, why not also try a grilled peach salad, this peach mousse or this peach butter recipe.

Smooth and creamy, with a gentle fruity flavor, peach panna cotta is a fantastic dessert for summer. Minimal effort, and great for entertaining being made ahead. Though really, you won't need that as an excuse.

Try these other no bake desserts:

• Lime mascarpone cheesecake shooters (super simple, and another great option for entertaining being in small individual servings)
• Crema Catalana (a big favorite, similar to creme brulee but even easier and so good)
• Strawberry mousse (easy with a great balance of fruit and creaminess)
• Brazilian corn pudding (corn in a dessert may sound unusual but it works so well!)
• Plus get more dessert recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was originally shared in August 2017 and has been updated, primarily with new photos plus some additional information.

Try some more tasty peach ideas:

• Honey Peach Ice Cream by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Peach BBQ Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peach Crumble Bars by Palatable Pastime
• Mini Peaches and Cream French Toast Casserole by Cookaholic Wife
• Peach Sorbet by Hardly A Goddess
• Halloumi Freekeh Peach Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Peach Tomato Salad with Herb Vinaigrette by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

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