Robert Wemischner

Yields: 6 servings

Here’s a quick but festive summertime recipe that showcases the sun-drenched flavor of plums in high season.  

Creamy panna cotta with the fresh dairy edge of ricotta, slightly sweetened, serves as the base for a quick-cooked plum compote.

To make the Panna Cotta:  

.20 oz gelatin dissolved in 2 T. cold water

9 oz. heavy cream

3 oz. granulated sugar

3 oz. very fresh whole milk ricotta

1 t. vanilla extract

Dissolve the gelatin in the water. Bring the cream to the boil with the sugar. Place the ricotta into a medium sized heatproof bowl. Stir a small amount of the hot cream into the ricotta and stir until smooth. Add the remaining cream, the dissolved gelatin (which will have absorbed the water), and the vanilla. Stir, without aerating, until smooth. Pour the mixture into silicone molds, custard cups or other small containers, each holding approximately 2 ounces. Place the molds into the freezer to firm. One half hour before serving, unmold the panna cottas onto a parchment lined sheet pan or other flat surface. Refrigerate until ready to serve the dessert.  

Italian Prune Plum Compote

12 Italian prune plums (about 10 ounces after being pitted)

½ ounce unsalted butter

12 whole cloves

2 oz. brown sugar

2 oz. sweet marsala

 In a heavy gauge nonstick pan, sauté the plums  are quickly sautéed in butter with the  cloves. Add the brown sugar and the Marsala, cooking the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, carefully stirring the mixture to avoid burning. You will find that some of the skins of the fruit will have loosened. No worries.  Allow to cool until slightly warm. Remove and discard the cloves.

Serving the dessert:

Place one panna cotta on each of six plates. Carefully spoon the plum compote onto the panna cottas, leaving the fruit as intact as possible. Drizzle any pan juices over the fruit and top each serving with one crushed amaretti di Saronno cookie (storebought).