Best method for getting panna cotta out of the ramekins?

[Morticia]

Hmm, never had a problem getting panna cotta out of our lightly buttered ramekins. Usually a knife, run around the edge is enough to loosen it so it comes out when inverted. I rarely make panna cotta for the B+B but it is a frequent dessert for family during the summer. Perhaps mine is richer than yours and the extra fat helps to loosen it from the ramekin?
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 2 Tb. Sugar
2” piece vanilla bean, split
grated zest of 1 lemon, optional
Butter 5 1/2-cup ramekins.
Pour gelatin on half-and-half. Stir to dissolve.
In medium-heavy saucepan, mix cream, sugar, vanilla bean and gelatin mixture.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to boil. (Don’t boil over pan!)
Cook until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, then remove the pan from heat and discard the bean.
Stir in lemon zest if desired.
Pour into ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (5 hours) or overnight/
To un-mold: run a knife around the sides of the ramekin. Place a serving plate on top and invert the plate. Or dip each mold quickly in hot water and then invert.
Serve with fresh fruit, shaved chocolate or make a caramel sauce..

I only use heavy cream for the whole thing (no other % of dairy) and I only warm the cream, no boiling at all. There is just steam rising off the top and it's warm when I hold my hand over the pot. Maybe I have to cook it instead of just warming.
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What temperature are you getting the gelatin to before mixing with the cream?
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What temperature are you getting the gelatin to before mixing with the cream?

I don't heat the gelatin, it's room temp.
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Okay, how the heck are you getting this to gel with no heat?
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Okay, how the heck are you getting this to gel with no heat?

The cream is warm when it goes into the gelatin. I sprinkle the gelatin on water a big bowl. Pour the warm cream over, stir. It's worked fine so far. Sets up fine. No lumpy bits.
I followed a recipe.
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Just warm? Usually it's just below a boil. Glad it works. What do you serve in it's place for vegetarians?
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Just warm? Usually it's just below a boil. Glad it works. What do you serve in it's place for vegetarians?

Fruit.

 

[Silverspoon]

Hmm, never had a problem getting panna cotta out of our lightly buttered ramekins. Usually a knife, run around the edge is enough to loosen it so it comes out when inverted. I rarely make panna cotta for the B+B but it is a frequent dessert for family during the summer. Perhaps mine is richer than yours and the extra fat helps to loosen it from the ramekin?
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 2 Tb. Sugar
2” piece vanilla bean, split
grated zest of 1 lemon, optional
Butter 5 1/2-cup ramekins.
Pour gelatin on half-and-half. Stir to dissolve.
In medium-heavy saucepan, mix cream, sugar, vanilla bean and gelatin mixture.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to boil. (Don’t boil over pan!)
Cook until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, then remove the pan from heat and discard the bean.
Stir in lemon zest if desired.
Pour into ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (5 hours) or overnight/
To un-mold: run a knife around the sides of the ramekin. Place a serving plate on top and invert the plate. Or dip each mold quickly in hot water and then invert.
Serve with fresh fruit, shaved chocolate or make a caramel sauce..

I only use heavy cream for the whole thing (no other % of dairy) and I only warm the cream, no boiling at all. There is just steam rising off the top and it's warm when I hold my hand over the pot. Maybe I have to cook it instead of just warming.
.

Panna cotta means boiled milk in Italian, so give it a try.

 

[Silverspoon]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

 

[Morticia]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.

 

[Silverspoon]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?

 

[Morticia]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

 

[Silverspoon]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.
.

Nice!

 

[Anon Inn]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

 

[Morticia]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

In Feb I also use the cupcake papers with hearts on them.

 

[Lee2014]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

In Feb I also use the cupcake papers with hearts on them.
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

In Feb I also use the cupcake papers with hearts on them.

You got pictures for the website, right?

 

[Morticia]

Tried something new. Made a batch of panna cotta in non-stick mini muffin pan. Worked great! No problem getting them unmolded....just ran a knife around the edge and tapped the tin upside down. DH did a pineapple ring with blueberries and strawberries. The little panna cotta fit perfectly in the center of the ring. Got raves from the guests and non came back uneaten.

.

I like the idea of mini panna cotta. I'm picturing me with my 24 count mini muffin pan with panna cotta plopping out everywhere, or not at all.
I made mini cheesecakes last weekend and they were the bomb! Guys were, 'is this cheesecake???' and grabbing 2-3.
.

Yes and the pc is even easier to make than cheesecake. I have a non-stick mini muffin pan. Running a sharp knife around the edges with a little nudge along the bottom, turning the tin upside down with a tap and plop, plop, plop.....jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. I left some in the tin, covered in the refrig. for the next round of guests and will serve it with a berry coulis this time around.
How did you end up presenting the cheesecake?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

In Feb I also use the cupcake papers with hearts on them.
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

In Feb I also use the cupcake papers with hearts on them.

You got pictures for the website, right?
.

Mini cheesecakes on a platter with a half strawberry cut to look like a heart on top.

I need to remember this for next Feb!

In Feb I also use the cupcake papers with hearts on them.

You got pictures for the website, right?

Right there with the recipe...