This creamy panna cotta is filled with citrus and cantaloupe melons and is a perfect Summer dessert!
Melons are ripe and juicy this time of the year. And in a dessert like these Citrus Melon Panna Cottas, they are so refreshing and delicious. Citrus scented sweetened cream with a layer of puréed cantaloupe, mandarin and lime gelee on top. The perfect dessert for the Summer.
What is panna cotta?
Panna cotta means cooked cream in Italian. It’s an Italian dessert made of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin. The cream is sometimes flavored with different flavorings like vanilla, chocolate, fruits, or in this recipe, white chocolate. My Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta with Lemon Gelee and White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Cranberry Gelee are both great pan cottas as well.
What is gelee?
Gelee is French for a jelly-like food. Gelee refers most commonly to a fruit puree stabilized with gelatin. It’s usually loosely stable, and not as firm as American jell-o.
How is the gelee used with the Citrus Melon Panna Cotta?
For this recipe, the gelee is poured and set on top of the panna cotta. It adds a mold lemon flavor to the panna cotta.
What main Ingredients are needed for the Citrus Melon Panna Cotta?
Gelatin- powdered gelatin is used to stabilize and slightly firm the panna cotta. It is also used to stabilize the gelee. You can also use gelatin sheets soaked in water in panna cotta.
Cream- Heavy whipping cream makes the panna cotta extra creamy, rich, and delicious.
Sugar- Granulated sugar is used in this recipe to give the dessert its sweetness.
Melons- For the melon, I used cantaloupes. Cantaloupes are an orange-peach colored fruit that have a webbed outer skin that turns from green to mostly beige when ripe. The cantaloupe is diced and lightly cooked before puréed for the Panna Cotta.
Citrus- a combination of lime and Madeline juice are used in the recipe.
Where does the inspiration for the Citrus Melon Panna Cotta comes from?
This delicious Panna cotta recipe was inspired by the Blooming Orchard Trilogy candle by Woodwick Candles. This candle has Mandarin & Yuzu Blooms, Melon Blossom, and Magnolia fragrances, which is similar to the ingredients in the dessert.
WoodWick® candles are made to indulge your senses. Each of the candles’ wooden wick creates the sound of a crackling fire, while fragrances, design and beautiful colors enhance your work space, especially while creating inspiring desserts. WoodWick candles are definitely a must have!
How are the Citrus Melon Panna Cottas made?
To make the panna cotta, start with mixing the powdered gelatin with cold water. This will help to disolve the gelatin. Place the milk, heavy cream and sugar in a saucepan. Let it cook for 2 minutes over medium heat until it’s hot. Add the gelatin and stir until it’s dissolved. The mixture should be very smooth and creamy.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the lime juice.
Divide the panna cotta mixture between six or eight 4-6 oz clear dessert or cocktail glasses. You can use as many as you like, but don’t fill the glasses to the top. You want to leave room for the gelee. If you want more that 6-8 glasses, fill them only halfway or less, so they’re not completely full. How much or little mixture in each glass is completely up to you. I like to use a mixture of different sized and shaped glasses.
Transfer the panna cotta glasses to the refrigerator to begin to set, about 1-2 hours.
How is the gelee made?
To make the gelee, add 4 teaspoons of cold water into a small bowl. Sprinkle 2 teaspoon of gelatin over the water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes. The gelatin needs to bloom before the gelee is made. Set it aside while preparing the melon.
To make the melon component, slice the cantaloupe in half. Scoop out all of the seeds. Cut each half in half, then cut the fruit out of the skin. Cut the cantaloupe into chunks.
Cook the cantaloupe for a few minutes with the lime and mandarin orange juices, sugar and water. Just cook it until it softens slightly. It doesn’t need to be cooked for too long.
Blend everything until it’s smooth, then add the bloomed gelatin. Let it cool for a bit. The gelee is like hot liquid jello and you don’t want it to be too hot when adding it on top of the panna cotta.
Pour and divide the gelee between the glasses. Refrigerate the panna cottas for about 4 hours or overnight. It just needs to be set. Then garnish with cantaloupe melon balls and fresh mint leaves.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Can you make these Citrus Melon Panna Cottas dairy-free?
Yes, you can make these dairy free. You can replace the heavy whipping cream with coconut milk, almond milk or any type of nut milk.
What’s the difference between panna cotta and crème brûlée?
Panna cotta is a sweeten cream that uses gelatin to stabilize it and sets in the refrigerator as opposed to baking. Crème brûlée is an egg custard that is baked in the oven and topped with sugar that get crystallized with a hand torch.
Can you use any other type of melons?
Yes, you can also use honeydew melons or watermelons as well. Any type of melons will work.
How long can you store the Citrus Melon Panna Cottas?
The Panna cotta can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 10 days. And it can be made in advance of serving it.
Looking for other panna cotta desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta with Lemon Gelee
White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Cranberry Gelee
Thyme Roasted Cherry Panna Cotta
Citrus Melon Panna Cotta
Ingredients
Panna Cotta
- 2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 tsp cold water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lime juice
Citrus Melon Gelee
- 2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 4 tsp cold water
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 whole cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut in chunks
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp fresh mandarin orange juice
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1/4 cup sugar
Garnish
- 1 additional whole cantaloupe
- Fresh mint
Instructions
Panna Cotta
- In a saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the four tablespoons of cold water. Let the mixture stand for 2 minutes. Place the milk, heavy cream, and sugar in a saucepan.Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook until it starts to simmer. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir constantly until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the lime juice.Pour and divide the panna cotta mixture into six to eight 6 oz clear dessert or cocktail glasses until it reaches ½- ⅔ way up the glass. Transfer to the refrigerator to begin to set, about 1-2 hours.
Melon Gelee
- Add 4 teaspoons of water into a small bowl. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of gelatin over the water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.Slice the cantaloupe in half. Scoop out all of the seeds. Cut each half in half, then cut the fruit out of the skin. Cut the cantaloupe into chunks. In a small saucepan, add the cantaloupe, sugar, juices and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the fruit begins to slightly soften.Add the contents of the pot to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the contents into a large measuring cup or bowl and add the bloomed gelatin. Whisk until it has fully dissolved. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. Pour and divide the gelee between the glasses. Refrigerate the panna cottas for about 4 hours or overnight. Use a melon baller to scoop melon balls out of the second cantaloupe. Garnish the panna cottas with the melon balls and fresh mint leaves.
