Every day there are more and more coffee lovers. And this is not surprising, because there is not only classic espresso, but also with the addition of additional products. Thanks to such variety, everyone can choose something they like. Many people like espresso con panna - a delicious and nutritious coffee drink.
It is quite possible to prepare con panna at home using simple ingredients. To do this, you will not need to go to cafes or restaurants, have special equipment and spend a lot of your time. Anyone can prepare the drink, spending a minimum of their time.
This coffee drink is not as simple as others. This coffee is prepared with whipped cream. Viennese coffee is the closest drink to this.
History of espresso con panna
According to legend, it all started from the moment when the Ottoman Empire wanted to conquer all of Europe. The Turkish troops had already approached Austria, but they were prevented by the Austrian Empire, which was stronger than their troops. As a result of this, the Turks fled and left all their belongings, including bags containing coffee.
The blacksmith, who lived in Vienna, showed himself and his will and asked for a reward of 350 bags containing coffee beans. At this time, the very first coffee shop was opened in Vienna. The owner put on Turkish costume and cooked for his visitors himself.
For Viennese residents, natural coffee was too strong, so they began adding milk and sugar. Since that time, a large number of recipes have been invented that have become famous throughout the world. It was the Italians who came up with the recipe for espresso con panna.
Difference between Viennese coffee and con panna
Translated from Italian, con panna means “with cream”). In order to whip cream to stiff peaks without having a mixer at hand, you need to work hard. Therefore, in the 17th–18th centuries, only wealthy Italians could afford coffee con panna.
With the invention in the 20th century of coffee machines and electrical devices that made it possible to quickly whip cream into a stiff foam, con panna became much easier to prepare, and it appeared on the menu of even the most inexpensive establishments. But if in earlier times it did not matter how the coffee base was brewed, then from the mid-20th century to the present day the drink is made only with espresso. Even the term “espresso con panna” appeared.
Espresso con panna is easy to distinguish from Viennese coffee:
- Viennese coffee is usually prepared using black coffee brewed in any way. Real con panna is made exclusively with espresso;
- Viennese coffee cream is whipped to a smooth, elastic foam that you can drink while simultaneously tasting the coffee bitterness and delicate creamy sweetness in your mouth. Coffee con panna is decorated with a head of cream, whipped into stiff foam until it reaches stable peaks. Con panna should not be drunk with foam: it must first be eaten with a spoon and then washed down with coffee.
- The Austrians call con panna Franciscaner. The fact is that Capuchins are a common nickname for monks from the Franciscan order. According to the logic of the Austrians, if Italian coffee with milk is cappuccino, then a more aristocratic drink with cream is Franciscan.
What ingredients are needed to make espresso con panna?
For this coffee drink, it is best to buy Arabica beans, without any impurities. But you shouldn’t spend money on such expensive types of coffee, because cream interrupts the taste of coffee. In this case, you can purchase Indian Arabica. You can hear notes of chocolate here.
Robusta is also added to espresso, which makes the foam stronger. But the bitter taste of robusta is felt against the background of cream.
Cream hides the roasted flavor of the coffee. For con panna, it is best to choose the Viennese roast. Not everyone may like dark roast coffee combined with cream. The grains need to be ground to a fine grind, maybe a little coarser, but the grind should be a little finer than average.
It is best to choose purified water.
To make con panna, choose 35% fat cream. If the fat content is less than 33%, then the cream simply will not whip. If possible, you need to buy cream that is not so thick. It happens that in order to save preparation time, cream from a container is simply poured on top of the coffee. But their taste is worse.
Coffee recipe
If you look at the ingredients, con panna is:
- 25-50 ml espresso;
- sugar to taste - for coffee;
- 1 tsp powdered sugar or sugar for cream;
- 20 ml. cream with a fat content of 35%;
- cinnamon - to taste.
For this drink, it is very important to whip the cream correctly. Since they turn into stiff peaks before the sugar has time to melt, it is often customary to use powdered sugar. You need to start whipping the cream with low mixer speeds, gradually increasing them. A blender will not work in this case, since its speed is always static. The powder should be added little by little at the end of churning.
Required Ingredients
The most suitable type of coffee for this drink is medium roast Arabica, without any flavor impurities. It is not advisable to choose expensive varieties with flavor nuances - cream will still kill the zest of elite bean options. For variety, Indian Arabica is also suitable - it has notes of chocolate that harmoniously combine with creamy foam.
Those who like stronger coffee will like Robusta beans. With it the foam will be more stable. However, the bitter shade of this variety will be noticeable against the background of delicate cream.
A special moment is roasting the beans. You should not choose a light roast, as cream will overwhelm the taste of this option. For con panna, the Viennese roast is ideal. The grains must be ground finely.
It is necessary to choose purified water as a basis - it has neither its own taste nor smell. It should be non-chlorinated, moderately soft. Mineralization is allowed in the range from 75 to 250 mg/l. This water will allow the drink to become original, without additional impurities.
Be sure to read: Coffee with lemon: what are its benefits and how to prepare it
The final feature of this sweet is cream. You cannot save on them by purchasing products with a low fat content. The cream should be at least 35% fat, otherwise it will not whip. In addition, the sweet taste that makes con panna special is lost. Of course, if you don’t want to whip stiff peaks yourself, you can use cream from an airtight container. With its help, making a coffee cap is faster and easier.
Cooking technology
Step-by-step instructions will allow you to prepare a flavorful drink quickly and easily:
- Whip the cream with 5 g of sugar. The whipping time depends on the fat content of the product. The result should be stable peaks.
- We heat a ceramic cup of a coffee maker or a ceramic Turk with steam.
- We prepare espresso according to the classic recipe - use 7 g of coffee per 30 ml of water. You can use a double shot of espresso.
- Decorate the brewed drink with a slide of cream.
To finish, con panna can be sprinkled with cinnamon.
How to cook con panna
To prepare this drink, you can take 2 shots of espresso, or double espresso. You need to add a little powder to the cream, because the sugar disappears very quickly. In order to avoid cooking the butter as a result, you need to beat at low speeds and then gradually increase. A blender is not suitable for this process, because the speed is too high and the cream will turn into butter. The powder should be added at the very end.
If you don’t have a coffee maker at home, then you can make regular coffee in a Turk. This drink will also be tasty, but then it will simply be called coffee with cream.
Required Products:
- espresso -50 ml;
- cream - 20 ml;
- powdered sugar - 1 tsp;
- You can add sugar if desired;
- for decoration you can take chocolate, cinnamon, nuts and so on.
Traditional recipe
According to legend, when the Turks fled Europe after an unsuccessful battle, they abandoned bags of coffee beans. Local residents did not understand the taste of the black, bitter liquid, and then one of the blacksmiths began to combine coffee with other ingredients. Sugar added contrast and hid the pronounced bitterness, while cream added tenderness. It was this option that the Italians loved, and now it is considered a classic.
To turn one shot of ordinary espresso into the desired Con Panna, you will need:
- a standard serving of fresh espresso is about 50 ml;
- sugar to taste;
- 30 ml heavy cream;
- a teaspoon of powdered sugar for whipping (granulated sugar can be used, but is not advisable);
- optional - cinnamon.
The base can be either standard or double espresso. Depending on the concentration of the base, the finished drink will be called “Solo Con Panna” or “Doppio Con Panna”.
Have you tried Con Panna espresso?
Yes
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How to serve con panna correctly and beautifully? How to drink the drink?
This drink must be poured into cups that have thick walls. It is best to choose a ceramic cup or a transparent glass. Don't forget to give the visitor a spoon. If you did not add sugar to the drink, then you can add a stick or a sugar bowl.
Remember that when serving con panna, a spoon is required. This drink goes well with chocolate, shortbread or nut cookies. If you want to eat some kind of dessert, then you can choose jelly from berries and fruits.
This drink is not a dietary drink, therefore, anyone who is on a diet or counting calories will have to refuse a full dinner or dish that has the same calorie content.
How is Con Panna served and what is appropriate to serve with it?
This drink must be served in special vessels - demitasse. They are thick-walled ceramic cups. Serving in transparent glasses is also acceptable. Guests should be offered a spoon with which they can eat a delicate cap of cream. If the coffee is not sweetened during brewing, you can put a sugar bowl on the table or lay out a stick of sugar.
Con Panna is ideally combined with shortbread nut cookies and different types of chocolate. If you want to eat dessert, it is better to stick to fruit and berry jelly.
Treats for guests
The first question that appears when guests suddenly arrive is “what should I treat them with?” The Italian, without hesitation, will answer that Con Panna will be an impeccable treat because it is:
Well, in order to make the treat more festive and slightly vary the taste properties, you can decorate the mound of cream with grated dark (bitter) chocolate and add chopped nuts. By the way, some baristas do not grate chocolate, but having previously frozen it in the refrigerator, use an ice pick to turn it into large crumbs and fragments. This not only looks more original, but also creates the sound effect of chocolate crunching.
Adding alcohol or syrups is strictly contraindicated, since it will no longer be Kon Panna, and the delicate taste of the drink will be irrevocably spoiled. Return to content
Espresso con panna: recipe.
Many experts say that this type of coffee as con panna was known for a long time before cappuccino or latte, but it is most likely impossible to find out for certain the history of the origin of this drink. Although some scientists say that espresso con panna is nothing more than Viennese coffee.
A modern version of Con Panna
In the modern interpretation, Con Panna means coffee with cream, which is why this version differs from Viennese coffee. In the first case, the traditional recipe uses cream, and in the 2nd case, milk. Con panna is an indispensable component of espresso. With all this, they can use not even ordinary espresso, but doppio - a drink of double strength. Never use instant coffee for such a drink, because the taste and smell of the coffee will be completely different.
The second essential ingredient is cream. It should only be natural cream, whipped until fluffy. Milk, even the richest milk, is not suitable for these purposes, and again it’s all about the end result. The milk will quickly settle and will not give that rich and tender taste like cream.
For con panna, serving with special devices is also inevitable. For this wonderful drink, a special porcelain cup with rather thick walls is used. This cup is called demitas. The choice for such a cup fell for a reason. Thick porcelain walls make it possible to keep the drink warm for a very long time. And, as is clear, when cooled, espresso loses not only its aromatic and taste characteristics, but also a huge part of the necessary substances.
From time to time in restaurants and coffee shops you can see espresso con panna, which is served in glass cups. This approach is not entirely correct in terms of presentation technology, but based on the visual effect, it all looks very good. The transparent walls of the cup allow you to fully enjoy the beautiful combination of white whipped cream and dark espresso.
It's all about the cream
Experts say that Con Panna is older than Viennese coffee, and even latte and cappuccino. True, no one knows for certain the history of the creation of the drink, nor the name of the author.
Espresso “Con Panna” – translated from Italian means “coffee with cream”. But do not confuse Viennese coffee, which also involves a combination of coffee and a dairy product, and true Con Panna.
What's the difference between a regular drink topped with a mound of frothed milk and a Con Panna espresso? First of all, you can use single or double espresso as the basis for the drink, but in no case “something” made from instant raw materials. As for the luxurious cloud of whipped cream, it should be cream, and not the whipped milk that is included in the Viennese coffee recipe.
To serve Kon Panna, they use demitas, that is, a special thick-walled white porcelain cup with a volume of 80 ml. You can, of course, as an exception, serve Con Panna espresso in a ceramic vessel or even a stainless steel cup. But if you want to comply with all the canons of cooking, then it is better to use porcelain demitas. By the way, such a cup is not a random choice, since it allows you to keep the drink warm for as long as possible. And espresso, as you know, loses its flavor characteristics during the cooling process.
Glassware for serving the Kon Panna drink is used more for creating a visual effect. After all, the combination of cream and espresso through the transparent walls of the vessel looks very beautiful.
As for the preparation process, the recipe is both simple and complex at the same time, and its main difficulty lies in creating the right base - espresso.
