In summer, there are many days that call for leaving the oven off. Those days may still require dessert – and although ice cream is always acceptable, maybe you want something different. Maybe you even want something a little fancy. Maybe your kids like desserts that jiggle. The good news is: if you can make Jell-O, you can make panna cotta.

Panna cotta (Italian translation: cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering cream, milk, sugar and gelatin and chilling until set (yes, it’s essentially cream Jell-O). There are, as with ice cream and crème brulée, a million variations on the theme – besides the obviously limitless topping options, you could flavour panna cotta with vanilla, maple, ginger, citrus, chocolate, tea… you could swap the cream or milk for coconut milk, buttermilk or yogurt, or you could stir in a big spoonful of mascarpone – soft Italian cream cheese – until it melted right in.

Panna cotta is also one of those desserts that provides high reward for minimal effort. The first time you make it, you won’t believe how easy it is, and yet it almost always elicits the response, “you made panna cotta??” Because really, it’s one of those desserts you see on high-end restaurant menus, isn’t it?

Not only is panna cotta easy, it’s cheap. It’s cream and gelatin. (Yes, the mascarpone will jack up the cost a bit – feel free to leave it out, and it will still be delicious.) And it’s something you can make in advance until it’s time to pull out of the fridge, top with berries and present (with a dramatic flourish, if at all possible) to your guests. Kids will be equally enamoured. Serving panna cotta in individual ramekins, small dishes or glasses makes it easy – there’s no pressure to unmould them cleanly. Martini glasses work well for large parties – they’re easy to hold and eat standing up.

Honey Mascarpone Panna Cotta with Berries

For a variation, try maple-blueberry panna cotta: replace the honey with pure maple syrup and put blueberries on top.

1 pkg. plain gelatin (or 1 tablespoon if you buy it in bulk)
1 L half & half or 18% coffee cream
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)

fresh fruit, fruit sauce or fresh raspberry coulis

Pour the cream into a medium pot and sprinkle with gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the gelatin soften. Set the pot over medium heat and stir, warming the cream but not letting it boil, until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Add the mascarpone (I just eyeball it, adding a large spoonful) and honey and cook, stirring, until the mascarpone is melted and the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into individual wine glasses, small dishes or ramekins. (If you want to unmould them onto a plate to serve them, spray the dishes with nonstick spray first.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set. (These can be made up to a few days in advance; cover each dish with plastic wrap to avoid having them dry out and wrinkle on top.)

Serve your panna cotta in the ramekins or unmoulded onto a small plate, topped with fresh fruit, any fruity sauce or fruit coulis.

Serves 6-8.

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