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Red Currant and Vanilla Panna Cotta Tart Recipe

There is already a rhubarb panna cotta tart recipe on this blog, and yes—this is another panna cotta tart, another pink one at that. After I shared a photo of this red currant–vanilla panna cotta variation on Instagram, someone asked for the recipe, so here it is. This tart is even easier to make than the rhubarb version and, frankly, I find it tastier. It’s just as pretty, too.

Red Currant-Vanilla Panna Cotta Tart

Until recently I assumed fresh currants and gooseberries were only found in Europe. Lately, though, red, pink and white currants have been showing up at farmer’s markets on the East Coast. If you haven’t tried them yet, this tart is a lovely reason to seek them out. Fresh red currants are tart with a subtle sweetness, and visually they’re like edible jewels. When macerated and mixed into the cream, they tint the panna cotta a delicate pink. White currants used as a garnish look like tiny pearls. Despite being cream‑based, the tart tastes light and refreshing with a pleasant tang, and it’s surprisingly simple to make.

red currant vanilla panna cotta tart

Red Currant-Vanilla Panna Cotta Tart

This panna cotta filling is adapted from a blackberry panna cotta and the tart shell comes from Julie Jones’s Soulful Baker. The combination yields a subtly sweet, tangy tart with a silky, pink panna cotta set in a crisp, buttery shell.

Ingredients

Tart Shell:

  • 230 g all-purpose flour
  • 125 g unsalted butter chilled and diced
  • 50 g powdered sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp whole milk

To glaze the tart shell:

  • 1 egg yolk
  • a couple of drops of boiling water

Red Currant-Vanilla Panna Cotta Filling

  • 1 heaping cup fresh red currants use up to 1.5 cups if you have them
  • 1/3 cup / 67 g granulated sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 of a large vanilla bean
  • scant 2 tsp powdered gelatin
  • 4 tbsp cold water

To decorate:

  • white currants

Instructions

Make the tart shell:

  1. Put the flour and chilled butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and mix gently until just combined.
  3. Add the egg yolk and milk, increase speed to medium-low (2–3 on a KitchenAid), and mix until the dough just begins to come together.
  4. Gather the dough on a piece of plastic wrap, form it into a ball, then flatten into a disk about 1/2 inch thick.
  5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  6. Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/8 inch thick to avoid adding extra flour.
  7. Remove the top parchment and transfer the dough (parchment side down) to a 9-inch fluted tart pan. Remove the remaining parchment, press the dough into the pan, and trim so the pastry overhangs the pan by about 1/2 inch. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press the dough into the fluted sides. Reserve extra dough for patching if needed.
  8. Chill the tart shell in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  9. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  10. Remove the shell from the fridge, place it on a baking sheet, and dock the bottom with a fork at 1-inch intervals. Line the shell with crumpled parchment and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice.
  11. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully lift out the parchment and weights, and return the shell to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the dough loses its raw appearance.
  12. If there are any cracks, patch them with the reserved dough. Mix the remaining egg yolk with a couple drops of boiling water and brush the inside of the shell with this glaze.
  13. Bake for another 15 minutes, then transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool while still on the baking sheet.
  14. When cool, shave away the overhang with a vegetable peeler and brush out any crumbs with a clean, soft pastry brush.

Make the panna cotta filling:

  1. Combine the red currants and granulated sugar in a medium bowl and let them macerate for 30 minutes.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream with the macerated currants (including their juices), scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, and heat until just steaming (about 160–170°F). Remove from heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes to develop flavor.
  3. Toward the end of the steeping time, pour 4 tablespoons cold water into a heatproof, spouted container and sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface to soften.
  4. Reheat the currant‑cream gently until just steaming again (160–170°F).
  5. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the container with the softened gelatin and pour the hot currant‑cream through the sieve, using a rubber spatula to press the solids and extract as much pink‑tinged liquid as possible. Whisk the strained currant‑cream into the gelatin until fully dissolved and smooth.
  6. Place the cooled tart shell (on its baking sheet) on a low shelf in the refrigerator.
  7. Carefully pour the panna cotta filling into the tart shell. Chill in the refrigerator to set overnight or for at least four hours.
  8. Once the filling is fully set, decorate the tart with white currants before serving.
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Red Currant-Vanilla Panna Cotta Tart