In New England where I live, we’ve had bitter cold temperatures since early January, along with what seems like countless snowfalls. I’ve become used to waking up to a new coat of snow on our driveway and to temperatures that hover around zero. As a result, my husband and I have kept our outings to a minimum—we go to the supermarket to stock up on staples and try not to miss doctors’ appointments. Due to this mercurial weather, we’ve decided to have a Valentine Day dinner at home next Saturday night, February 14th .
I’m planning a simple meal that will include boiled artichokes served with a lemon vinaigrette for openers, followed by linguine tossed in Marcella Hazan’s famous tomato sauce (made with San Marzano tomatoes, simmered with butter and a single peeled onion). Bowls of this pasta will be topped with sautéed sea scallops for me and cooked jumbo shrimp for my spouse. For the special dessert, I’ll offer chocolate panna cottas garnished with swirls of whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and crushed hazelnuts. They take less than 20 minutes to assemble and a long, unattended stretch in the fridge to set.
I’ve made several chocolate variations of this Italian dessert recently. For my Cupid’s Day version, in a saucepan I heat heavy cream, milk, sugar, and semisweet chocolate, until well blended, and then stir in softened unflavored gelatin. This mixture is poured into small glasses or ramekins and refrigerated for 6 hours–or even better overnight–until set. At serving time, the simple garnishes are added.
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!
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Chocolate Panna Cottas Topped with Whipped Cream, Shaved Chocolate, and Hazelnuts
Panna cottas
1/4 oz package unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
1/8 tsp sea salt such as fleur de sel
4 oz good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped, or 4 oz good quality chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli (See cooking tip.)
Whipped Cream and Garnishes
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 tsp confectioner’s sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, (See cooking tip.)
One 1/2- to 2- oz square semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for shaving
1.For the panna cottas, have ready five one-cup clear glasses or ramekins.
2 Place gelatin in a small bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of the milk to soften, about 5 minutes.
3.In a medium saucepan, whisk together remaining 1 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, sugar, espresso powder, and sea salt, and place over medium-high heat. Whisk until sugar and espresso powder have dissolved. Add chocolate and whisk until it has melted and all ingredients are well blended. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin until it is completely incorporated into the mixture. Transfer mixture to a large measuring cup with a spout and pour into the 5 containers.
4.Place glasses on a baking sheet or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until completely set, 6 hours or longer or overnight.
5.When panna cottas are set, prepare the garnishes. Whip the cream until it just starts to thicken, then add confectioner’s sugar. Continue beating until firm. Remove and stir in the vanilla. (Whipped cream can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
6.Garnish each serving with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Then sprinkle each with some hazelnuts. Using the fine side of a grater shave some chocolate over each serving.
Serves 5
Cooking tip: You can substitute 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 4 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate chips such as Ghirardelli for a slightly less sweet taste.
Cooking tip: To toast hazelnuts, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 350- degree F oven until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and place nuts in a kitchen towel and rub off as much of the skins as possible.
Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2026
