I had no idea what to call this except for what it is—sweet, effervescent sparkling apple cider gelatin mixed with mellow, creamy panna cotta. It’s what holiday dessert dreams are made of. It’s light, sweet, and perfect for any holiday party from Christmas to Hanukkah to New Years. Plus, it’s so pretty! It’s also very easy to make, which makes it a perfect holiday dessert when you’re crunched for time, and you can make it dairy-free, and it’s naturally gluten-free, too!
There are two steps to this process: 1) make the panna cotta and wait for it to set, and 2) make the apple cider gelatin and wait for it to set. Each takes a couple of hours, so you’ll have to plan ahead a little bit, but making the panna cotta and the gelatin only take about five to ten minute each, so yay!
If you want to make it look a little fancy like I did, I used a dish towel on a small sheet pan to prop up the glasses at an angle. I found it works the best out of everything I’ve tried and gives a little stability when you’re trying to put the sheet pan in the fridge, which can be a struggle if they’re rolling around.
I did not add sugar to the sparkling apple cider for the same reason I kept the sugar so minimal in the panna cotta—because the apple cider is already so sweet. The mild panna cotta is a perfect complement to the sweetness of the apple cider gelatin.
I also used almond milk and coconut creamer for this panna cotta. You can use the traditional milk and half-and-half or cream with the same measurements if you’d like.
Finally, in case you’re wondering, I don’t know whether or not this would work with something like champagne or a sweet, bubbly wine like a Moscato. I haven’t ever tried it before, although I imagine it would work much the same way. I can’t imagine a reason it wouldn’t.
- Panna Cotta:
- 2 cups almond milk or regular, full-fat milk
- 1 cup of coconut milk creamer, cream, or half-and-half
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 package of gelatin
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Apple Cider Gelatin:
- 2 cups of sparkling apple cider
- 1 package of gelatin
- Combine the almond milk, coconut milk creamer, sugar and vanilla extract in a pot. Sprinkle over the package of gelatin and let sit for five minutes to allow the gelatin to “bloom”.
- Turn the heat to medium and allow the mixture to come to a simmer, just before boiling, stirring. You’ll see movement just below the surface and bubbles around the side of the pot and the sugar had dissolved.
- Take the pot off the heat and pour into ramekins or whatever you’re going to serve the dessert in.
- Place in the fridge for two to four hours, or until completely set.
- Once the panna cotta is set, add the sparkling apple cider to a pot and pour gelatin over the top. Let it, too, sit for five minutes.
- Heat the cider and the gelatin over medium heat, stirring, until it comes to a simmer, just before boiling.
- Allow the mixture to cool for fifteen minutes, then pour over the panna cotta.
- Place into the fridge to set for two to four hours, or until set.
- Serve!
There you have a sweet, simple, beautiful dessert for any holiday event!
If you’re looking for another holiday treats or even an appetizers, I have a few previous blog posts, including Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie Dough Truffles, Pumpkin Spice Granola Bark, and Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Tarts (I even have a recipe for 4-ingredient pumpkin dog treats for your wonderful furry companions!).
With this post, I’m taking a little well-needed break. I will be back it the New Year with some delicious, healthy, full-of-flavor recipes to get your 2017 started off right!
‘Till next year!
