Panna Cotta

This dairy-and gelatin-free vegan panna cotta, made with almond milk and kuzu starch, will delight anyone with its incredibly creamy texture.

Cool, creamy vanilla panna cotta is the simplest kind of dessert; it only needs a few minutes on the stove, and it sets all on its own in the refrigerator.

Mahalabiya is an easy, creamy milk custard that’s the ideal canvas for showcasing seasonal fruit.

The filling of this tart reminds of me of the hot Mumbai summers when Mum would make mango shrikhand for us, with the beautiful fragrance of floral cardamom and saffron and the warm notes of nutmeg. Mango and ginger are a great pairing, so the base of the gingersnap crust pairs well with the silky smooth shrikhand filling in the tart. I love this tart and my kids love it too. It is so easy to make that it has become a regular in our home. It is definitely a showstopper for a party as well! It is.…

A few uncommon products, such as salted plum powder, canned lychees, and agar-agar, are easily found online and make this creamy dessert truly exceptional.

Treat this spoonable dessert as a vehicle for piles of your favorite peak-season fruit.

Kefir and a honey-sweetened red wine syrup gives these creamy desserts a tart, refreshing, and sophisticated edge.

If quinces are unavailable or you want a shortcut, purchase quince paste at a specialty shop and heat it slowly to create a syrup, then simply spoon it over the custards.

Beets for dessert—we were skeptical too, but their sugar content and gorgeous color make for a stunning dish. See more riffs at right.

Roasting white chocolate was a popular technique a few years back in a lot of pastry kitchens. I don't use white chocolate a lot because it is so sweet, but roasting it first caramelizes the sugar and toasts the milk solids to give it a nutty flavor, like brown butter, that balances its high sugar content.

Buttermilk lightens the traditional all-cream panna cotta base—without sacrificing lusciousness.

抹茶,由磨干绿茶to a powdery consistency, has a distinct earthy, sweet flavor that carries through in this creamy panna cotta. And since you consume the leaf directly in this dessert, instead of brewing it, the antioxidant levels are even higher.

The slight tang of this dessert is complemented by the sweet and sour flavor of the vibrant topping. Because the panna cotta can be made so far in advance, it's an ideal choice for a party.

This velvety pudding is the brainchild of chef and cookbook author Sara Foster; and like many of her recipes, it’s a masterpiece of simple goodness that needs no extra bells or whistles. But it’s amenable to a variety of sauces and toppings. Try soaking the fresh berries in port to make a memorable dessert.

The stated purpose of my junior year abroad was to study at the famous London School of Economics, but the first thing I did when I got to England was land a part-time job at the Roux brothers’ (also famous) restaurant, Le Mazarin. Of all the challenges of living abroad, I never thought I’d have a problem finding something decent to eat. Boy, was I wrong. While the food we served guests at Le Mazarin was topnotch, staff meals were a different story. Stripped chicken carcasses, limp vegetable trimmings, and, if we were lucky, a box of just-add-water mashed-potato flakes were the components of just about every meal. The rest of London wasn’t offering many great options either at that time. Fish and chips and heavy pub fare dominated the food scene in the late eighties, before Britain’s culinary renaissance. The one thing I found worth eating (and could afford on the £10 a week my job paid) was scones with clotted cream and strawberries. And that’s exactly what I ate, for 6 straight months. After so many meals of strawberries and cream, it’s a wonder that I still love that combination. Panna cotta (“cooked cream”), a silken, eggless Italian custard, is an easy-to-make complement to perfectly ripe berries. I’ve added crème fraîche to the traditional recipe to balance the strawberries’ sweetness with some tang. You can make the panna cotta in individual ramekins and unmold them just before serving or make it in a large gratin dish and spoon it out at the table family-style.

Here is the dessert we served on opening day at Joe Beef. You can use small foil molds or teacups for serving.

This modern, savory interpretation of panna cotta comes from Chef Debbie Gold, who participated in the 2000 Workshop. It has the silky, quivery texture of a traditional dessert panna cotta, with an appetizing butterscotch color. For an autumn first course, serve the custard with crisp toasts and a tart salad for contrast. Note that the panna cotta must be chilled for at least four hours before serving.

SMART SUBSTITUTION To make this popular Italian dessert lighter, use reduced-fat cream cheese and skim milk in place of the traditional heavy cream. Thanks to the semisweet chocolate, it still tastes rich.