Indulge in the festive flavors of fall with this delicious Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta. This show-stopping dessert combines the classic Italian delicacy with the iconic colors of everyone's favorite Halloween candy.
The short answer: Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta makes 4 servings in mini trifle dishes, with yellow lemon, orange, and white vanilla layers that set one at a time in the refrigerator.
Layered in classic mini-trifle bowls, each spoonful has lemon, orange, and vanilla flavors that match the colors of candy corn.
Jump to:
- Quick Look at the Recipe
- Ingredients for Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta
- Making the Yellow Layer - Step-by-Step
- Making the Orange Layer - Step-by-Step
- Making the White Layer - Step-by-Step
- PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips
- Need a little help with this recipe?
- In Case You Were Wondering
- Other Halloween-Inspired Treats
- Recipe
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Servings: 4
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Microwave time: 1 minute
- Chill time: 2 hours
- Total time: 2 hours and 21 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Serving dishes: 4 mini trifle dishes or clear glasses, 9 ounces each
- Make-ahead friendly: Yes - up to 3 days in the refrigerator
Ingredients for Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta
Each layer starts with the same classic panna cotta base. You make it three times.
- The Classic Panna Cotta: Unflavored gelatin, water, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
- The Yellow Layer: Lemon extract and yellow gel food coloring to the classic panna cotta.
- The Orange Layer: Orange extract and orange food coloring to the classic panna cotta.
- The White Layer: The white layer was classic panna cotta.
- Garnishing: Finish the Candy Corn-Inspired panna cotta with stabilized whipped cream (not pictured), sprinkles of yellow, orange, and white jimmies, and a piece of candy corn.
Making the Yellow Layer - Step-by-Step
For the Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta I made the three layers separately, starting with the yellow layer.
- Bloom the gelatin: Start by dissolving 1 ¼ teaspoons of unflavored gelatin in one tablespoon of room-temperature water in a small dish. The gelatin powder soaks up the water evenly during this time, which keeps it from clumping when it meets the hot cream.
- Heat the cream: While the gelatin blooms, add ¼ cup heavy cream to a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup and microwave on high for 30 seconds.
- Melt the gelatin. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream and whisk until the gelatin melts.
- Add the flavor and color: Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of lemon extract, and 4 drops of yellow gel food color, and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the dairy: Whisk in ¼ cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of milk.
- Divide by weight: Pour the yellow mixture into 4 mini trifle dishes, and weigh each dish on your kitchen scale, about 2.5 ounces each. Equal weights yield layers of equal height. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until the yellow layer sets.
Making the Orange Layer - Step-by-Step
- Repeat steps 1 to 5 for the yellow layer: Use 1 teaspoon of orange extract instead of lemon extract, and 4 drops of orange gel food coloring instead of yellow.
- Pour onto the set yellow layer: Weigh about 2.5 ounces of the yellow layer into each dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The yellow layer must be set first, because liquid poured onto the soft layer will mix with it and blur the colors.
Making the White Layer - Step-by-Step
- Repeat steps 1 to 5 for the orange layer: Leave out the lemon extract and the food color, and keep the vanilla extract.
- Pour onto the set orange layer: Weigh about 2.5 ounces of the orange layer into each dish and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Garnish. Top each dish with whipped cream, the jimmies, and a piece of candy corn.
Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta is perfect for Halloween parties, fall gatherings, or any time you want a themed dessert table. Even better, you can make it up to 3 days in advance. Yum!
PudgeFactor's Test Kitchen Tips
- Layer weight: I weighed the yellow, orange, and white mixtures. Each weighed around 10.5 ounces, or about 298 grams. That provided 2.5 ounces per dish for each layer.
- Make ahead: If making ahead, prepare the panna cotta through the final chill, without the garnish. Add the garnish right before serving.
- Storage: Allow the panna cotta to come to refrigerator temperature before covering it with plastic wrap. As it cools, the panna cotta gives off condensation. If you cover it too soon, the plastic wrap will trap that moisture on the surface. Once covered, the panna cotta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before serving.
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In Case You Were Wondering
Absolutely. Prepare it through the final chill. Then let it cool in the refrigerator, uncovered, until thoroughly chilled. Cover it with plastic wrap. Remove the panna cotta before the party, and garnish.
Each layer must be firm before adding the next, or the colors will blend together.
I like to weigh each layer so that each mini trifle shows layers of the same height. This greatly improves the visual appeal.
Other Halloween-Inspired Treats
Indulge your taste buds in these delicious Halloween-inspired treats.
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Recipe
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Candy Corn Inspired Microwave Panna Cotta
Equipment
- 4 mini trifle dishes or clear glasses (around 9 ro 10 ounces each)
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (1.5 ounces, 43 grams) water, divided
- 3 ¾ teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder, divided
- 1 ½ cups (12 ounces, 340 grams) heavy cream, divided
- 3 Tablespoons (1.31 ounces,37 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Yellow gel food color
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- Orange gel food color
- 1 ½ cups (12 ounces, 340 grams) whole milk, divided
- Whipped cream, for garnish
- Yellow, orange, and white jimmies for garnish
- Candy corn for garnish
Instructions
Yellow Layer
- In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons of unflavored gelatin powder on top of one tablespoon of room-temperature water. Let it sit for five minutes for the gelatin to bloom.
- Place ¼ cup of the cream in a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Heat at full power in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until fully melted.
- Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, and 4 drops of yellow gel food color. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and combine the ingredients.
- Add ¼ cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of milk. Whisk to combine.
- Divide the yellow panna cotta equally among four mini trifle dessert bowls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the gelatin. (See Tip 1)
Orange Layer
- In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 ¼ teaspoons of unflavored gelatin powder on top of one tablespoon of room-temperature water. Let it sit for five minutes for the gelatin to bloom.
- Place ¼ cup of the cream in a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Heat at full power in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until fully melted.
- Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of orange extract, and 4 drops of orange gel food color. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and combine the ingredients.
- Add ¼ cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of milk. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the orange panna cotta on top of the yellow layer in the four mini trifle dessert bowls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the gelatin. (See Tip 1)
White Layer
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 ¼ teaspoons of unflavored gelatin powder on top of the remaining one tablespoon of room-temperature water in a small bowl. Let it sit for five minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom.
- Place ¼ cup of the cream in a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup. Heat at full power in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until fully melted.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and combine the ingredients.
- Add the remaining ¼ cup heavy cream and ½ cup milk. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the white panna cotta over the orange layer in the four mini trifle dessert bowls. Refrigerate for at least an hour. (See Tip 2)
- Garnish with whipped cream, yellow, orange, and white jimmies, and candy corn.
- Yield: 4 servings.
Video
Tips/Notes
- The yellow, orange, and white panna cotta mixtures each weighed around 10.5 ounces. Therefore, I used around 2.5 ounces per mini trifle bowl for each layer.
- The panna cotta can be made in advance up to this point.
- If making the panna cotta in advance, allow it to come to refrigerator temperature before covering it with plastic wrap. As the panna cotta continues to cool, it gives off condensation. Once covered, the panna cotta can be refrigerated for up to three days before serving.
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