Panna Cotta

Sweet and tart at the same time, the compote is spooned atop creamy chilled custard for a satisfying Italian dessert.

For convenience, chill these individual eggless custards overnight before serving. The sauce can also be made a day ahead.

Here's a low-fat, no-egg version of panna cotta, a smooth custard from the Piedmont region of Italy. It's soothing and luscious, and requires no baking time.

In Italy, the panna cotta (molded cooked-cream dessert) at each restaurant was different: Some included hazelnuts; some were made with eggs and some without. Taking a few liberties of our own - most notably adding sour cream - we created the following superb rendition.

Panna cotta means "cooked cream" in Italian, and, indeed, that is just about all these elegant little desserts consist of. A touch of hazelnut liqueur and a rustic sauce of crushed berries make this version just right for romantic company.

The silky texture and tangy buttermilk flavor of this panna cotta are irresistible. Start preparing the dessert one day ahead.

Free yourself from individual ramekins for a large-format, party-friendly version. (It jiggles!)

This giant panna cotta has a sleek mirror finish that’s a thing of beauty. No ramekins required.