Panna cotta is a light Italian custard that pairs perfectly with fruity flavors. Traditionally made with loads of dairy, our vegan version relies on orange-scented plant milk and warming vanilla extract to create a scrumptiously smooth dessert. Agar powder works as a setting agent similar to gelatin and is derived from seaweed (don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like it!), which gives each serving a pleasant jiggly texture. The sweet custard is divided into pretty wine glasses before chilling and topped with fresh berries and juicy citrus supremes for an eye-catching finish. Feel free to use your favorite fruit or get creative by adding a sprinkle of nuts on top as well.
Tip: To make citrus supremes, slice off the top and bottom of citrus fruit. Place fruit flat side down on cutting board. Slice off the skin and bitter white pith from top to bottom. Holding the fruit over a bowl, slide a knife between a section and membrane. At the core, turn the knife and cut between the other side of the section and the membrane. The supreme will drop into the bowl. Repeat to remove all supremes. If juice is desired, squeeze membranes to release any juice.
For more fruity vegan desserts, check out these tasty ideas:
By Ellen Boeke,
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Ellen Boeke has more than 25 years of experience as a recipe developer and food editor. She holds Bachelor’s of Science degrees in consumer food science and journalism from Iowa State University and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Find her on LinkedIn.
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Comments (6)
So I try my best to not remove any of the white pith when I peeled the oranges, but there was still a small amount on each peel. So after steeping the peels, the mixture was bitter. I could have added extra sugar to counteract it, but I feel like that is what we are trying to avoid… extra sugar. The texture was like plantmilk jello, which is not bad, but would be nice if there was something to make it richer… blended cashews or something? I won’t be making this recipe again.
“remove strips of peel” – is this the same as zesting? Or is zesting more fine?
Do you use all the peel from all 3 oranges? That would be a LOT of zesting!
Thanks!
I think that zesting won’t create the smooth Panna Cotta texture. The recipe calls to remove the orange peel, which you wouldn’t be able to if you zested.
Orange supremes? Do you think this should be sections?
There are videos on you tube showing how to cut the “supremes”.
They are slightly different preparation techniques. Supremes is cutting all the white membrane off and opening the citrus sections so no pith remains, which will release some juice. Sectioning separates the orange into pieces but maintains the membranes around each piece, some people think this leaves the citrus tasting bitter but I don’t find it affects the flavor.