Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta
“I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets.”
Hamlin Garland
There’s something about saffron, something exotic, like a caress, light and beautiful! A tiny bit of this beautiful spice catapults a seemingly good dish into an extraordinary one. Pairing it with a panna cotta I learnt that something quite ethereal happened! We have never sat so long over dessert … S L O W L Y is how we ate it, not wanting it to finish. Thats just how sublime the Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta turned out to be.
A good panna cotta is one of my favourite Italian desserts, possibly on top of my list. It’s been difficult to get the right consistency as whipping or heavy cream isn’t available here in India. I’ve made panna cotta several times in the past, but have never had much luck with turning them out perfectly, never a 100% satisfied feel!
Must have been my lucky day as I experimented with a combination of low fat cream and gelatin and got the most amazing result. Amazing in taste and more importantly amazingly set! I set a few in goblets and the rest in metal molds with a saffron caramel {one in a ramekin too}. 
I had panna cotta on my mind ever since I received a mail from VAV Life Sciences, Mumbai inquiring if I was willing to review a ‘saffron extract‘ that their company produced. Saffron? Yes please! I’d never heard of saffron extract even though I use the normal dry saffron strands quite often … like here in Saffron, Pistachio & cardamom Kulfi {Indian frozen dessert}, Saffron Pistachio Yogurt Ice Cream, Saffron Rice Pudding, Hyderabadi Katchi Biryani, Yakhni Pulao etc.
Natural Saffron Extract : Saffron is a culinary spice that comes from the stigma of the crocus sativus flowers. Saffron Extract is a specially formulated food grade extract of saffron that has been treated to enhance the natural flavour of saffron, without losing any of its natural properties. There is a reduction in the amount of saffron extract required for imparting the same flavour, as compared to dry saffron. While the saffron leaves quickly stale and dry out, saffron extract does not lose flavour and can be stored upto 24 months. Liquid extract is easier to use and standardized in food preparations compared to dry stamens and can be dosed precisely compared to natural saffron. {For further details you can get in touch with Maitreyee Ghosh – logistics {@} vav {dot} in/ VAV Life Sciences }
With the tag of being the most expensive spice in the world, saffron is precious in many ways, especially its delicate flavour. Gentle and mild yet it elevates taste exotically perhaps like no other spice, saffron is associated with cuisines from India, Persia, Turkey, the Arab World, and even Europe. And I love the way it embraces both sweet and savory recipes so well.
This versatile spice goes a long way, and the saffron extract was a pleasant surprise. It imparted the characteristic subtle saffron flavour and colour to perfection. It was easier to use as its already in an extract form so the need to soak it for the obligatory 15 minutes prior use wasn’t necessary. The flavours were deep and pronounced, as was the colour. 
Just a knife tip amount {about 1/8tsp} was good enough to beautifully flavour the panna cotta and another bit to flavour and colour the caramel.
A panna cotta caramel? That morning my path crossed with Raquels who writes a stunning food blog in Spanish, The Tragaldabas. She had the most beautiful panna cotta posted there, and I found my culinary path instantly!! She used Werthers candy in her caramel, and the very idea of a panna cotta with a caramel had me captivated.
I went my own caramel way, like how my mother used to make it for caramel custard when we were kids. I remember waiting with bated breadth for the custard to be turned over {always in a green bowl which was reserved for caramel custard}. All three of us sisters would cheer when like magic the well set steamed pudding would ‘plop’ out with this shining crown on top!
That was going to be the caramel for my panna cotta, one I decided to flavour with a dash of the saffron extract. Since saffron is such a gentle spice, I kept from letting the caramel turn characteristically dark. Bitter caramel in pudding is yum, but with saffron I turned the heat off the minute the sugar melted and coloured slightly.
Perfect Spring dessert, the panna cotta came together like a beautiful dream, lilting, mesmerising, smooth, perfect, like a dream you didn’t want to wake up from. The textures teased the palette and we ate it in silence, everyone enjoying the elegance and caress of this cooked cream. {I made it again yesterday, on request, and to ensure that the magic was for real. It was!!}
[print_this]Recipe: Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta 
Summary: Perfect Spring dessert, the panna cotta came together like a beautiful dream, lilting, mesmerising, smooth, perfect, like a dream you didn’t want to wake up from. The textures teased the palette and we ate it in silence, everyone enjoying the elegance and caress of this exquisite Italian dessert.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes plus setting time
Ingredients:
- Saffron caramel
- 75gm granulated sugar
- 1-2gm saffron extract {knife tip full}
- Saffron Panna Cotta
- 2tsp gelatin powder
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 1ltr low fat cream {18% fat}
- 110gm vanilla sugar {or plain}
- 1/8 tsp saffron extract {plus a teeny bit more for topping}
- Pistachios, rose petals to garnish
Method:
- Saffron caramel
- Keep the serving molds/ramekins ready.
- Place sugar and 1/8 tsp of saffron extract in heavy bottom pan and melt the sugar to a light caramel. Do not let it burn or it will gte bitter. Swirl the pan often and take off the minute all the sugar has melted. It should be a bright orange colour.
- Immediately spoon about a heaping tsp into each mold/ramekin, swirling it about to distribute it.Continue for all the molds. Do this pretty fast as the caramel will harden rapidly. Just in case it hardens before you are place the pan over very low heat to melt again.
- Saffron Panna Cotta
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand for five minutes.
- Place the cream, saffron and sugar in a heavy bottom pan and gently bring to a simmer, but not a full boil. Stir often.
- Take off heat. Add 1-2 tbsp of this hot cream to the dissolved gelatin to loosen it further, and then pour the gelatin mix back into the hot cream through a sieve. Stir well.
- Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, reserve about 100ml {optional}, and distribute the rest among your serving bowls/molds/ramekins/goblets.
- Leave to set for about 1-2 hours, then add a tbsp of the deeper saffron cream over the tops. Allow to set for another 6-8 hours/preferably overnight.
- Demold loosening the sides with a blunt knife and serve with a sprinkling of pistachio nuts and edible dried rose petals if you like.
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Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
45 Comments
thelittleloaf
Saffron caramel sounds absolutely wonderful – so exotic and elegant but deliciously indulgent all at once. Yum!
Rosa
A refined dessert! It looks and sounds amazing.
Cheers,
Rosa
indugetscooking
The pictures are simply extra ordinary. I am in a dessert mood, all of a sudden!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
These look beautiful Deeba! And I can imagine how refreshing they’d be at the end of a meal.
Priya
Wat an elegant and super stunning panna cotta..
Katherine Martinelli
My jaw completely dropped when I saw the title, and then the photos, from this post! Oh my! I love panna cotta and the flavors in this sound incredible. I don’t have saffron extract (am intrigued!) but just brought back some Iranian saffron from Istanbul that’s burning a hole in my pantry 🙂
Tamara
Your panna cotta is perfect, just creamy enough, and the addition of saffron is a great idea
Lora
Wow. what spectacular flavors!
margret
Incredible, I am starving now 😉 Very nice pictures also well presented.
Bhavana
This looks sooooo fabulous!! As I read the list of ingredients, I was mentally checking if they were already in my pantry since this dessert has to be tried out without delay. I have just one query. Could you please tell me by the quantity of saffron needed to substitute the extract? I am not sure if Saffron extract is available in my city.
Deeba @ PAB
Hi Bhavana. Thanks for stopping by. I think you could soak about a 1/4 tsp in 1-2 tbsp of warm milk, and about 5-6 strands for the caramel.
simran kamath
this is awesome!i just got back from my pantry…i don’t have enough cream..boo hoo…fab. recipe…..love the fact that its so doable..beautiful..beautiful pics.
Pan Cuisine
I am officially up for adoption…please…adopt me into your family. I want to dive into that..throw away my weight worry into the air and just gobble it down..yea-that’s what i wanna do right now. They look amazing…gotto try this out. Thanks for sharing.
abha
Deeba , this looks yummy and the combination of ingredints has hit my family’s Indian taste buds.
Can you just let me know do we get 18% fat cream in Delhi ( i mean is it Amul’s). And how do you sliver pistachios so perfectly.
Happy Baking.
Abha
Deeba @ PAB
Hi Abha, yes 18% fat is Amul cream, the 1 ltr pack at room temperature.
Slivered pistachios? I bought a small nut slicer from my Old Delhi shop ages ago and it has a simple adjustable blade that slices nuts {or ginger, garlic etc too} to whichever size you want. Haven’t been there for long, but can pick it up for you whenever I go next. let me know!
Rochelle Harrison
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I really love dessert and this is one of my favorite.
ritu
Exotic!!
Maryden25
It’s been long time now, since I’ve tried to do a Panna Cotta. I really have a hard time to do it perfectly! I’ve been practicing how to do it, but until now the outcome is kinda saggy. Maybe I should try again with this recipe, and I hope this time I can make it!
natasha
Hi Deeba,
Am speechless…STUNNING photography and the dessert….like I said, am speechless!!!
Kazsandra
This looks like a great recipe and I hope I can make this perfectly too.. My husband actually wants this kind of recipe and I am really hoping he will like my own..
Brian @ A Thought For Food
Both saffron and panna cotta fall under the exotic category… in my opinion, at least. I first got my hands on some saffron and absolutely loved the flavor… slightly floral, but with spicy (almost cinnamon/nutmeggy) notes. Yes, I just typed nutmeggy 🙂
This is marvelous and you totally nailed it!
Rachel
Happy to follow your blog…. am defintely going to try this recipe… looks good and great pics! Please visit my blog http://tickledbyinspirations.blogspot.com/
Sarvani @ baker in disguise
I like how the caramel creates a syrup ..something like a caramel custard!! Saffron essence sounds interesting!!
lisaiscooking
Saffron and caramel are two of my favorite things! I’d never thought of combining them, and now I can’t wait to try it. Your panna cottas are beauties, and the extract sounds so interesting.
Laura
Fabulous kind of dessert..It looks like perfect kind..Thank you for sharing the recipe..I cant wait to try it..
Rosh
Outstanding clicks! Makes me want to dive in for a bite…yummy! Will definitely try this 🙂
Jamie
Beautiful!!!! Wow! LOVE panna cotta and I am so making your recipe with lower fat cream! Perfect! And the saffron caramel is sooo beautiful! I have never made a sweet dessert with saffron and now I really must. Stunning pics, as always, my darling sistah! xo
Helene
I haven’t heard about a Saffron Extract before. Thanks for talking about it. What a fabulous dessert. Have a great day!
belllii
This is a combination I would love to try Deeba.
Erin
Amazing photos! What a gread idea for flavour combination. 🙂 And glad to hear you were able to get the perfect set on your panna cotta. That can be the toughest thing sometimes to find that balance. Looks like you’ve nailed it. 🙂
Jay
wow..yummmmilicious..:)
Tasty Appetite
Naigel
This dessert is absolutely great, I can’t wait to try this one…
Saffron
I just made this. It was ridiculously easy…and turned out perfectly! It was also the first time I used gelatin sheets…they worked beautifully. I used 10% organic dairy cream, and no problems. I can’t wait to try out some variations. thanks!
Heidi19
Wow! what a perfect dessert. I’m so excited to try this. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Love it!
Avanika {Yumsilicious Bakes}
Wow this looks amazing. I love panna cotta, and the idea of saffron extract is just great!
Gabrielle Plenert
How many does this serve?
Samaira Jonathon
Hey Deeba,
This looks so delicious, the pics are amazing. I’m a big fan of saffron recipes, the flavor is so unique and rich, I just love it. Unfortunately I haven’t heard of Saffron extract in my neighborhood store, so guess I’d have to do with saffron strands only till I explore it more. I’m gonna try out this recipe coming weekend. Thanks for the share.
Marisol Murano
Hola Deeba: Thank you for this decadent share! Made your panna cotta gem last night with these variations — toasted the saffron strands for five minutes, then turned into powder in a pestle. I also toasted the pistachios in a teaspoon of butter. Take a peek at the photo, if you’d like, and keep our sweet tooth delighted — Chef Marisol.
http://www.marisolchef.com/PHOTOS/SaffronPannaCotta.JPG
Saffron extract
The solution lies in the saffron extract containing Satiereal which is a supplement that enables the individual to resist the urge of eating. Satiereal present in saffron extract has been recently featured on TV as a possibility of helping people who have a tendency of eating between meals.
Saffron extract
Mike
Looks lovely. Damn, I feel hungry now!
Ivy Coleman
I love Saffron extract. It helped to reduce my appetite and I lost weight. I took the product as recommended and it worked for me.
Debi
Lovely recipe. I have just got a pack of Spanish saffron from a friend and was looking for recipes. This sounds sinful but easy to make. And ingredients I will get in India 🙂
Thanks.
Marty
Wow, love the blog! I’ll be following your adventures from now on. Awesome pictures, too! 🙂
Dennis Morris
The many uses of saffron extract are remarkable. The saffron recipes given here look absolutely amazing. I can’t wait to try them. They should be both delicious and healthy for you too. That’s a great combo. side effects