Recipe

Beet Panna Cotta with Candied Black Sesame Seeds

by Sasha Marx

For the final recipe in my beet deep dive, I wanted to showcase the natural sugar content of beets by making them the feature ingredient in a sweet dessert. (If you prefer to end a meal on a more savory note, try our Beet Kvass and Campari Granita.) Panna cotta (“cooked cream”) is a classic Italian dessert in which sweetened cream and a little milk are thickened with gelatin. A good panna cotta should have the texture of a light custard—barely set when chilled. For this recipe, I first process beets to a pulp in the food processor and then wring the pulp through cheesecloth to release the beet juice. I substitute that beet juice for some of the dairy in the panna cotta base, which I then gently heat with a small amount of sugar and gelatin. I add buttermilk to give the base a little tang and then portion it into bowls and chill it to set the gelatin. For an optional crunchy, no-waste garnish, I take the leftover beet pulp and dry it in the oven before tossing it with candied black sesame seeds and flaky sea salt. The finished dessert has a beautiful silky texture and subtle sweetness from the beets, and it pairs really well with the smoky caramel notes of the black sesame brittle. This make-ahead dessert is a dinner party showstopper. 

Photography by Steve Klise

Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients

Panna Cotta

500 g red beets (2 large beets), rinsed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 g unflavored gelatin
250 g heavy cream
55 g sugar
1 g kosher salt
180 g buttermilk

Black Sesame Brittle

20 g black sesame seeds
15 g sugar
6 g honey
  flake sea salt

Panna Cotta

1½ pounds red beets (2 large beets), rinsed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup buttermilk

Black Sesame Brittle

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey
  flake sea salt
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 500 g red beets (2 large beets), rinsed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
    For the Panna Cotta: Line fine-mesh strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth, leaving 6 inches overhang on all sides, and set over medium bowl. Process beets in food processor for 30 seconds. Stop processor, scrape down sides of bowl, then continue processing until beets form pulpy paste, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer beet paste to prepared strainer and allow beet juice to drain into bowl. Gather overhanging cheesecloth and squeeze beets to release as much juice as possible (you should have about 250 grams juice).

    Optional but highly recommended: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread beet pulp in even layer on prepared sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until dry and crunchy, 1 to 1½ hours. Transfer 12 grams beet crumbs to small bowl; set aside. Remaining beet crumbs can be transferred to airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. (Try the extra beet crumbs sprinkled on salads or hummus.)  
    • 6 g unflavored gelatin
    Transfer 187 grams beet juice to medium saucepan. Transfer remaining 63 grams beet juice to small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over surface of beet juice in bowl; let stand for 10 minutes to hydrate gelatin. 
    • 250 g heavy cream 
    • 55 g sugar 
    • 1 g kosher salt
    Add cream, sugar, and salt to beet juice in saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently to dissolve sugar, until mixture registers 140 degrees F/60 degrees C, about 5 minutes. Add beet juice–gelatin mixture to saucepan, whisking to dissolve gelatin and break up any clumps, and continue cooking until mixture registers 150 degrees F/66 degrees C, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove saucepan from heat and strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into large measuring cup or pitcher. 
    • 180 g buttermilk
    Let panna cotta base cool to 105 degrees F/41 degrees C. Add buttermilk and whisk to combine. Set 4, 5, or 6 small bowls on baking sheet. Divide base evenly among bowls. Cover sheet in plastic wrap, making sure that plastic does not touch surface of panna cottas; refrigerate until just set (mixture should wobble when shaken gently), about 4 hours. Panna cottas can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. 
    • 20 g black sesame seeds 
    • 15 g sugar 
    • 6 g honey
    For the Black Sesame Brittle: Line rimmed baking sheet with reusable silicone pan liner. Combine sesame seeds, sugar, and honey in small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture has sandy texture, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sugar melts and caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, stir mixture until seeds are evenly coated and then quickly transfer to prepared sheet. Spread into thin, even layer and let cool at room temperature until sugar hardens, 5 to 10 minutes. 
    • Flake sea salt
    Using your hands, break sesame brittle into ¼-inch pieces. Combine brittle and 2 grams flake sea salt. (If you made the optional beet crumbs: Combine brittle, beet crumbs, and 3 grams flake sea salt.) Sesame brittle can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week. Sprinkle top of each panna cotta evenly with sesame brittle and serve.  
Instructions
    • 1½ pounds red beets (2 large beets), rinsed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
    For the Panna Cotta: Line fine-mesh strainer with 3 layers of cheesecloth, leaving 6 inches overhang on all sides, and set over medium bowl. Process beets in food processor for 30 seconds. Stop processor, scrape down sides of bowl, then continue processing until beets form pulpy paste, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer beet paste to prepared strainer and allow beet juice to drain into bowl. Gather overhanging cheesecloth and squeeze beets to release as much juice as possible (you should have about 1 cup juice).

    Optional but highly recommended: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees F/93 degrees C. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread beet pulp in even layer on prepared sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until dry and crunchy, 1 to 1½ hours. Transfer ¼ cup beet crumbs to small bowl; set aside. Remaining beet crumbs can be transferred to airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. (Try the extra beet crumbs sprinkled on salads or hummus.)  
    • 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
    Transfer ¾ cup beet juice to medium saucepan. Transfer remaining ¼ cup beet juice to small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over surface of beet juice in bowl; let stand for 10 minutes to hydrate gelatin. 
    • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream 
    • ¼ cup sugar 
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    Add cream, sugar, and salt to beet juice in saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently to dissolve sugar, until mixture registers 140 degrees F/60 degrees C, about 5 minutes. Add beet juice–gelatin mixture to saucepan, whisking to dissolve gelatin and break up any clumps, and continue cooking until mixture registers 150 degrees F/66 degrees C, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove saucepan from heat and strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into large measuring cup or pitcher. 
    • ¾ cup buttermilk
    Let panna cotta base cool to 105 degrees F/41 degrees C. Add buttermilk and whisk to combine. Set 4, 5, or 6 small bowls on baking sheet. Divide base evenly among bowls. Cover sheet in plastic wrap, making sure that plastic does not touch surface of panna cottas; refrigerate until just set (mixture should wobble when shaken gently), about 4 hours. Panna cottas can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. 
    • 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds 
    • 1 tablespoon sugar 
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    For the Black Sesame Brittle: Line rimmed baking sheet with reusable silicone pan liner. Combine sesame seeds, sugar, and honey in small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture has sandy texture, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sugar melts and caramelizes, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, stir mixture until seeds are evenly coated and then quickly transfer to prepared sheet. Spread into thin, even layer and let cool at room temperature until sugar hardens, 5 to 10 minutes. 
    • Flake sea salt
    Using your hands, break sesame brittle into ¼-inch pieces. Combine brittle and ¾ teaspoon flake sea salt. (If you made the optional beet crumbs: Combine brittle, beet crumbs, and 1 teaspoon flake sea salt.) Sesame brittle can be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week. Sprinkle top of each panna cotta evenly with sesame brittle and serve.  
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