Creamsicle Panna Cotta

Hella Kumquat: As a kid, one of my favorite treats was the creamsicle. My cousins and I always ran to the ice cream truck when we heard that infamous music. Today, I made a Vanilla Panna Cotta with Kumquat Marmalade. The flavor is both creamy and citrusy, which takes me back to my childhood. The great thing about this Italian dessert is there’s no baking, and you could make these in advance until you’re ready to have something sweet.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• Marmalade

  • 2 cups kumquats

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/2 cup water

• Panna Cotta

  • 1 cup whole milk, divided

  • 2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • Kumquat tops/bottoms

  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Steps:

1. Make the marmalade. Slice the tops and bottoms off the kumquat and toss. Slice the rest of the kumquat into 1/4” thick pieces.. In a small sauce pan, bring the water to a simmer and add the sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and add sliced kumquats. Simmer for a few minutes, turn off the heat, and let everything steep until cooled.

2. Make the panna cotta. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of milk and whisk in the gelatin. Set aside for 10 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan, add the cream, sugar, remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Cut the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds and add them to the saucepan with the cream. Toss in the vanilla pods into the mixture too. Simmer the mixture over medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. Add the milk/gelatin mixture to the saucepan, and stir until dissolved. Stain the mixture and even divide into ramekins, bowls, or small cups. Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 6 hours.

5. To serve, you could invert the panna cotta onto a plate (or eat out of the bowls/cups). Top with the kumquat marmalade.

6. Make sure you get a spoonful of both ingredients and enjoy the creamsicle flashbacks!