Butternut Panna Cotta, Cranberry Gel, Miso Streusel

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

This is a simple panna cotta recipe fortified with fresh roasted Butternut squash purée, a touch of miso, maple syrup and winter spices. Shiro miso is a sweeter white miso, easy enough to find in supermarkets, and should not be substituted for other types of miso, which are too salty for this dessert. For a crunchy counterpart, the savory-sweet miso streusel does the trick nicely without dominating; this recipe makes a lot of streusel, which is deliciously snackable, like an extra nutmeg-y oatmeal cookie. The cranberry gel is optional, but adds a lovely tart tang to the creamy panna cotta below.

Makes about 6–7 (½ cup) portions

FOR THE BUTTERNUT PANNA COTTA MIX:
1½ cups whole milk
1 pouch (7.5g) unflavored powdered gelatin (if using sheets, use silver strength—160 bloom)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Butternut squash purée* (see recipe below)
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons shiro miso
2 star anise pods, toasted
1 cinnamon stick, toasted
salt, to taste

FOR THE CRANBERRY GEL:
1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice (any juice can be used here; some good alternatives are apple, pomegranate or cherry juice)
½ packet (3.5g) powdered gelatin (if using sheets, use silver strength—160 bloom)
¼ cup sugar
salt to taste

FOR THE MISO STREUSEL:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats
½ cup chopped pecans (optional, or use a different nut. If not using nuts, double the quantity of oats)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼–½ of a freshly grated nutmeg
¼ lemon zested on a Microplane (just a few whacks of fresh zest)
½ cup brown sugar
7 tablespoons soft cubed butter
2½ tablespoons shiro miso
flaky sea salt

FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH PURÉE:
1 bulb end of a large Butternut squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
salt, to taste

FOR THE BUTTERNUT PANNA COTTA MIX:
Add half the cold milk (¾ cup) to a saucepan and sprinkle in the powdered gelatin. If using sheets, bloom sheets in ice water for 5 minutes before squeezing out and adding to the milk. Give the pan a swirl, and allow the gelatin to bloom in the cold milk for 5 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a blender, combine the remaining ¾ cup milk, squash purée, heavy cream, sugar, maple syrup and shiro miso and blend until very smooth.

Add the toasted spices to the saucepan with the milk and gelatin. Place over low heat and warm the milk gently to dissolve the gelatin.

Once dissolved, add the squash/cream mixture to the saucepan and heat on low until it reaches 180°F (just below a simmer; don’t boil the gelatin or it will denature). Taste for salt, and season as needed. Strain and distribute the liquid into 4–6 shallow serving dishes (like ramekins or small glass bowls), about ½ cup mixture in each dish. Carefully transfer the dishes to a sheet tray and place in the fridge. Allow them to set for 4–6 hours, but overnight is ideal.

FOR THE CRANBERRY GEL:
Makes 1 cup, enough for 6–7 servings

Bloom the powdered gelatin in the cold juice; if using sheets, bloom sheets in ice water before squeezing out and adding to the juice. Add sugar and a pinch of salt and bring to 180°F over low heat in a saucepan, stirring frequently. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. Allow the mixture to cool to around 70°F (room temperature), then carefully pour a thin layer of gel over top of each of the chilled panna cottas. Return to the fridge and allow to set for another 1–2 hours, or until gel is firm.

FOR THE MISO STREUSEL:
Makes enough to crumble on the panna cottas plus extra for snacking

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, pecans (if using), spices, lemon zest and brown sugar until well incorporated. Add the chunks of butter and miso paste to the bowl.

Using clean hands, squeeze everything together until a semi-homogenous, craggy mass is formed. With wet hands, spread the mixture on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper in a flat, even layer. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating halfway, or until golden brown and fragrant.

Cool, then break up into smaller pieces, or leave as one big streusel cookie if you want. Sprinkle some crumbles on top of the panna cotta before serving.

FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH PURÉE:
NOTE: This is a great way to use up the bulb ends of a Butternut squash when another recipe calls for only the neck. You can make this purée and freeze it to use whenever you’re ready to make panna cotta.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut the bulb of the Butternut in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and brush the inside of the squash with melted butter and a light dusting of kosher salt. Place cut side down on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until extremely tender. Allow the squash to cool slightly, then scoop the flesh away from the skin. Transfer flesh to a blender and blend on high until very smooth. Chill fully before using in the panna cotta recipe.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2024 issue as part of a larger story on Butternut Squash.