Homemade pudding has been well documented on this here site quite a bit. It's a near and dear dessert that's so close to my heart. Puddin' is the thing I want to eat after a super heavy meal when I can barely even think to think about dessert, but totally want to. Am I making sense?
And no matter how many new pudding memories I make, pudding will always, ALWAYS remind me of Billy Madison. (Please tell me you clicked on that link and watched him dance down those stairs. You're welcome.)
Billy loved his Snack Packs! I remember watching that movie over and over and begging my mom to add them to her grocery list. She did. I was a girl obsessed with Billy Madison and chocolate pudding.
A bunch of years later, I realized there was a whole world of different flavored puddings. And then I learned about panna cotta--oh my! Now, I'm sort of a brat about panna cotta. No rock hard panna cotta! No way. It should be silky and smooth and not super stiff.
This panna cotta was the perfect balance between holding form and not being overly gelatinized.
This gem of a recipe comes from the new book, Bakeless Sweets, by Faith Durand.
It's a book all about desserts like puddings, custards, panna cottas, ice box cakes and rice pudding. Yum! A collection of beautiful, bakeless desserts!
And totally spot on, seeing as in a few months none of us are going to want to turn on our ovens and we're going to be incessantly complaining about mosquito bites and humidity. Ugh. Not ready.
In the book, this recipe uses peaches, but since we're not there yet, strawberries took their place. I think this thang would do great with other fruits too, like blackberries or slices of mango.
And since we're still doing the whole Mama's Day thing, this would be perfect for a make-ahead dessert for Sunday.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries sliced thinly
- 1 ½ cups cultured buttermilk well shaken, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin
- ¼ cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Divide the strawberries among six cups of glasses that hold at least 6 ounces each. Chill the glasses.
- Pour ½ cup of the buttermilk into a 2-quart saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to soften. Warm gently over medium heat and stir the sugar in. Heat gently until the gelatin and sugar have both fully dissolved, then turn off the heat.
- Whisk in the remaining buttermilk and the cream, vanilla, pepper, and salt. Taste to check sweetness; add more sugar if desired.
- Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup with a spout. Divide this mixture among the child cups, pouring it over the strawberries. Cover the glasses lightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the panna cotta and let it set for at least 2 hours--but preferably overnight. The panna cotta can be made up to 3 days ahead and left in the refrigerator, covered.
Lisa the Gourmet Wog says
I love the addition of pepper! Very cool
Jayne says
Oh yes... good Mother's Day treat. My mom doesn't fancy desserts that are toothachingly sweet. This will go into my Pintrest!
Joel says
Where can I get jars like the ones you used? they are so pretty for presentation.
Adrianna Adarme says
I bought these at the Heath Ceramics Store in LA but you can find them all over, even on the internets. Here ya go:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=weck
Lindsey says
i can't wait till nyc gets fresh strawberries! awesome recipe!
M.C.@ ThousandStoryKitchen says
These look awesome. I never thought about buttermilk in panna cotta- sounds amazing! Now to watch Billy Madison for nostalgia! Thanks! 🙂
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
When i was younger I ate pudding everyday after school, it was delightful. However I always thought of panna cotta having an unpleasant constancy but this recipe changed my mind. It looks so silky and smooth!
Michelle says
i ALWAYS think of Billy Madison when thinking of pudding. It's unavoidable!!
If I didn't have an allergy to strawberries, I'd be ALL over this.
Aimee St.Germain (Cooking the Strip) says
An entire cookbook of no-bake desserts? That's moving to the top of my "must purchase" list. I love the idea of buttermilk in panna cotta - sounds so good! Thanks for sharing!
Marie @ Little Kitchie says
Panna cotta is my go-to dessert for entertaining. It's so good, you can make it ahead, and it just looks cute when everyone has their own individual dish. This is absolutely lovely!
Stacey says
I've always been terrified of working with gelatin. The last time I tried to use it it was to stabilize whipped cream for frosting and it was a giant chunky disaster. But! You've single-handedly help me overcome my fear of frying things, so I feel like with your guidance I can learn to embrace gelatin. 🙂
Stop looking at me, Swan!
Adrianna Adarme says
Oh gracious. Working with gelatin in this recipe was a cinch! I hear to stabilize whipped cream the trick is a teaspoon or two of creme fraiche. Apparently this is what restaurant kitchens do to make sure it's fluffy for hours upon hours. 🙂
Heather @ A Sweet Simple Life says
Such a dainty little dessert! Perfect for Mother's Day!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Such a treat! This sounds lovely!
Tieghan says
I am pudding obsessed!! This looks crazy goood!!
DessertForTwo says
Thanks for letting me know about this book! I want it!
I'm puddin' obsessed, too!
Adrianna Adarme says
It's a good one!
Natalie says
This looks sublime! I've only made rose panna cotta before, will have to try strawberries next 🙂
Adrianna Adarme says
Oooo. I think a splash of rosewater would've worked in this recipe!