Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Lime Panna Cotta Recipe

Name: Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Lime Panna Cotta Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk, divided; 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin; 2 1/2 cups heavy cream; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 vanilla bean (either Mexican or Tahitian), split and scraped; 1 5-inch stick Celyon or Mexican cinnamon; Zest of one lime; Slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish if desired

This recipe comes straight from one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago, Birrieria Zaragoza. All they serve is birria, a Mexican goat stew served with fresh thick tortillas, and it's impeccable, moan-worthy. But on my last pilgrimage, chef Jonathan Zaragoza offered me this dessert, the best panna cotta I've ever eaten.

When vanilla is used in a recipe, it's usually either as a star role, like in ice cream and crème brûlée, or shoved as far to the background as possible. This recipe offers a rare in-between. The vanilla is assertive, but it shares equal billing with Mexican cinnamon and lime. There's a little flourish of toasted almonds here if you'd like it, but this recipe is really about the complex interplay of spice in a creamier-than-creamy, not-too-sweet dessert.

This panna cotta is best eaten the day it is made, when it isn't too firmly set.

Vanilla, Cinnamon, and Lime Panna Cotta Recipe

Prep 10 mins

Cook 15 mins

Active 20 mins

Chilling Time 2 hrs

Total 2 hrs 25 mins

Serves 6 to 8 servings

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1 cup whole milk, divided
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean (either Mexican or Tahitian), split and scraped
1 5-inch stick Celyon or Mexican cinnamon
Zest of 1 lime
Slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish if desired

In a small bowl, combine half cup of milk with gelatin. Stir to combine and let sit while heating remaining milk, cream, sugar, and salt to a simmer. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and lime zest, and cook at a bare simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in milk-gelatin mixture until fully combined. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into 8 or 6 6- or 8-ounce (respectively) ramekins. Chill for two to three hours, or until set.
To serve, run a thin knife along sides of ramekins to loosen panna cotta. Flip ramekin upside down onto serving plate and tap several times until panna cotta is dislodged. Garnish, if desired, with toasted slivered almonds.

This Recipe Appears In

Spice Hunting: Sussing Out Vanilla Beans

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
350	Calories
29g	Fat
19g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	350
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g	38%
Saturated Fat 18g	89%
Cholesterol 87mg	29%
Sodium 77mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 5mg	27%
Calcium 102mg	8%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 152mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.