Indulge in the essence of the tropics with this creamy Piña Colada Panna Cotta recipe. Join me as we commence a culinary journey where simplicity meats sophistication, and each spoonful unveils a velvety sensation that melts on your palate like a dream. Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner party or lounging by the poolside, this panna cotta promises to elevate any event to one of pure delight!

Today’s scientific focus is going to be enzymes and proteins as they’re the whole reason jellies and panna cottas stay up and get that gel-like consistency. Together we’re going to embark on a journey guided by precise measurements, controlled temperatures, and chemical reactions that transform the humble pineapple into a delicious dessert. Each step is a testament to the principles of chemistry as we harness the power of our ingredients to achieve an optimum texture and taste – I’m so excited to get started with you!

Originating from the heart of Italy, panna cotta epitomises elegance with it’s smooth texture and delicate flavours. Initially, panna cotta was a simple dessert made with cream, sugar, gelatin, and vanilla. Today, however, we’re going to form something completely new by combining this beloved dessert with a beloved cocktail – the piña colada! By combining the two we will create a dessert that contains a harmonious blend of coconut and sweet pineapple that will instantly teleport you to the beach.

What are proteins and enzymes?

Proteins can be defined as a type of long macromolecule (a large molecule that’s important for biological processes) made up of complex chemical molecules known as amino acids. Proteins are super cool for a myriad of reasons, ranging from their diversity in structure to their functional versatility. They come in a bunch of different shapes and sizes, but all you really need to know right now is that there are four main levels of protein structures: primary, secondary, tertiary, and you guess it, quaternary. If the structure of a protein is changed drastically, it may not be able to continue its main function. Proteins also have a variety of functional uses in the body. Collagen, for example, is a great source of structural support. Try and stick all of that into the front of you’re brain because we’re going to be talking about it later.

Enzymes are a type of protein that help speed up a chemical reaction. The way they do this is they kind of act like a really clingy boyfriend by basically hunting a substrate (just a type of that enzymes react with) down and sucking it into a part of the enzyme known as the active site. Here, the enzyme breaks the substrate down into products, and releases it back into the world. This process normally lowers something known as activation energy (which is just how much energy is needed for a reaction to occur), which means that the reaction will happen at a quicker rate.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this coconut panna cotta,. Make sure you scroll down to the recipe card to get the precise measurements. It should be noted that I’m a good old Aussie, so I’ll be referring to Jell-O as jelly

Pineapple Jelly:
Cold Water
Gelatin Powder (sheets will work as well)
150g Pineapple (canned with juice)
150g Brown Sugar
Yellow Food Colouring (optional)

Panna Cotta:
Cold water
Gelatin Powder (see above)
Coconut Cream
Vanilla Extract
Caster Sugar
Milk

I’m so glad you asked, Toby!

First of all, I’ve got to explain what denaturing is. Denaturing sounds like a scary word, but it just means that for some reason or other, the bonds between a protein’s shape has been drastically changed which leads to a loss of activity. It’s usually the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary forms that are affected, and the primary structure is left in tact. So it still exists, but it’s just not doing a very good job at it’s main function. Gelatin is actually a denatured form of collagen, which is used to form structures. We have to use cold water to “bloom” the gelatin, as it allows the bonds between the structures to reform and turn the protein again into a 3D macromolecule. This thus means that the main function of the protein (in this case forming a structure) is reactivated.

Now, the reason we have to use canned pineapple is because pineapple contains a chemical known as Bromelain. This consists of a combination of enzymes known as proteases, who’s main function is to destroy proteins. They do this by sucking their substrate (which in this case is something known as a peptide, and it acts as a linkage between amino acids) and then breaking it down. So basically, the pineapple enzymes break down the gelatin. However, remember how we talked about denaturing? Well you can also denature enzymes. When a lot of heat is applied to enzymes, their 3D structure gets a bit funky, meaning that the active site is unable to bind any substrates. This in turn means they cannot continue to undertake their main function. Now, canned pineapple is thermally treated to increase shelf life, so the enzymes are already denatured. We’re also going to be boiling the pineapples later when we make a syrup, so it’s like two factor authorisation, but for denaturing.

It’s not the end of the world if you do want to cut up your own pineapple. I just find that not only is this a cheaper and quicker option, it also ensures that at least some of the enzymes are properly denatured. This is going to result in a much smoother jelly product. We’re also going to be using the juice found in canned pineapple to help add a more intense flavour to our syrup.

How to make Piña Colada Panna Cotta:

Pineapple Jelly:

To make the pineapple jelly, we’re going to start by making a pineapple syrup. This is going to ensure that all the tropical flavours of the pineapple are infused into the jelly, without all the mess that comes with pineapple juice and pulp.
Start by adding the sugar, pineapple, and water into a saucepan on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Not only is this going to denature the pineapple enzymes, but it’s also going to melt the sugar and combine everything into one big syrup.
In the meantime, sprinkle the gelatin over a bowl of cold water to begin the blooming process. Make sure you are stirring while you add the gelatin so that you don’t have any clumps of powder in your final mixture. Leave to sit for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin protein to return to its 3D shape.
We’re then going to strain out the pineapple pieces and set them aside – we can use these for a garnish later. Add the syrup back to the hot saucepan and mix in the gelatin mixture until combined.
Grab some stemless wineglasses and place them on a 45° angle – you can do this by sitting them in a cupcake tin that has a soft tea towel on top. Evenly divide the jelly amongst your glasses – I like to do this with a 1/4 cup to a avoid a mess, because trust me when I say that that gelatin is going to be sticky later.
Cover the glasses with cling wrap to avoid moisture loss, and leave to set for 2 hours.

Coconut Panna Cotta:

We’re going to start by once again blooming our gelatin in a small bowl of cold water and leaving to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the coconut cream, vanilla extract, and sugar into a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve – it will take on a silver sheen when everything is combined. The heat source is going to break all the bonds between the sugar and cream molecules, meaning they are free to attach to each other and combine into one big mixture.
Bring the mixture to a boil and add the gelatin mix. Stir until the gelatin has been incorporated into the mixture.
Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl. Leave in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes; if we add the panna cotta mix immediately to the jelly, the heat from the fresh panna cotta mixture will begin to melt the jelly which results in a very uneven line between the two substances.

Storage

Panna cotta is a dessert that is very high in moisture, meaning that it’s also a favourite dessert for lovely little microbes such as bacteria. Thus, I would highly highly recommend keeping it in the fridge. This delicious dessert can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days, as long as it is wrapped with cling wrap. You can freeze it to have it last longer but I wouldn’t recommend it. During the freezing process water crystalises into tiny little ice molecules that spread throughout the panna cotta, which is what results in it freezing. However, this means that when you defrost it in the fridge it may have a different taste / texture.

Thanks for joining me in the lab today! Did you make this recipe? Tag me @beaker_bakes so I can see all your wonderful creations!