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Panna Cotta with Caramel and Bananas

A luxurious panna cotta dessert topped with rich caramel and fresh bananas, perfect for any occasion.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 350

Ingredients
  

Base Ingredients
  • 120 g biscuits (speculoos or butter cookies)
  • 50 g melted butter
  • 1 pinch salt
Panna Cotta Mixture
  • 400 ml heavy cream
  • 100 ml milk
  • 60 g sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 leaves gelatin soaked in cold water
Caramel Topping
  • 150 g sugar for caramel
  • 60 g salted butter
  • 100 ml hot liquid cream
  • 1 pinch fleur de sel
Garnish
  • 2 bananas sliced
  • Chopped nuts or praline
  • Powdered sugar for decoration

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Crush the biscuits into a fine powder and mix with melted butter and salt until well combined.
  2. Press this mixture into the bottoms of 4 circles of 8 cm or ramekins, and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
Panna Cotta Mixture
  1. Soak the gelatin in cold water.
  2. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.
  3. In a saucepan, gently heat the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla until just before boiling.
  4. Remove from heat and squeeze the softened gelatin, adding it to the hot cream mixture while stirring until completely dissolved.
  5. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes before pouring it over the biscuit bases.
  6. Refrigerate for at least four hours to let the panna cotta set fully.
Caramel Preparation
  1. In a skillet, melt the sugar until it turns a beautiful amber color.
  2. Off the heat, introduce the salted butter, followed by the hot liquid cream, stirring to blend smoothly.
  3. Add a touch of fleur de sel to balance the sweetness.
  4. Allow the caramel to cool while you prepare the fresh bananas.
Serving
  1. Carefully unmold the panna cottas onto plates.
  2. Drizzle the rich caramel over the tops and arrange sliced bananas artfully atop the panna cotta.
  3. Garnish with chopped nuts or praline and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Notes

For a crisp, golden layer, sprinkle sugar and caramelize it with a torch right before serving. Consider incorporating spices like cinnamon or nutmeg for added warmth.