What is espresso con panna and the intricacies of its preparation

There are more and more coffee lovers and connoisseurs in our country every year. Just thirty years ago, instant Indian coffee in a tin was the ultimate dream, and a long list of foreign names on a coffee shop menu was an incomprehensible set of letters. Now consumers know that it is correct to say “espresso” rather than “expresso”, and where to put the emphasis in “latte”.

Characteristics of the coffee drink

Con Panna will appeal to people who find classic espresso too strong and bitter. Soft cream and sugar give it tenderness, while maintaining the brightness of the original product. This coffee is prepared on the basis of regular or double espresso, with the addition of whipped cream.

The literal translation of the phrase Con Panna is “with cream.” When coffee appeared in Europe, few could afford it, and the option with a cap of whipped cream was only for very wealthy people. With the advent of technical means for preparing espresso and whipping cream to steep peaks, the cocktail appeared on the menu of even the smallest coffee shops and quickly gained everyone’s love.

Many people confuse Con Panna with the well-known Viennese coffee. Although these two drinks are very close to each other, the technology for preparing them differs.

How to distinguish Espresso Con Panna from Viennese coffee

• The basis for Viennese coffee can be any black coffee; for Con Panna it can be exclusively espresso.
• Cream. They are whipped to stiff peaks, they are so thick that it is convenient to eat them with a spoon. The Viennese version is covered with milk whipped to a soft foam.

If you visit an Austrian coffee shop and don’t find “Espresso Con Panna” on the menu, it will be called “Franciscanner”.

Preparing Italian coffee “Con Panna”

The classic drink recipe consists of espresso (single, medium or even double) and whipped cream.

To prepare excellent quality espresso, experts advise paying attention to the coffee mixture. An important role in this is played by the ratio of Arabica and Robusta varieties. The degree of roasting of the beans also affects the quality of the finished drink, both its taste and its aroma. In Italian coffee shops, the formula of the mixture is kept in the strictest confidence and is considered a trade secret. This is not surprising, because, firstly, it is the author’s, and secondly, it determines 99% of the taste characteristics of coffee.

By the way, the classic Italian recipe involves the use of natural cream, whipped in a mixer or using a blender. But the eternal rush and lack of time also influenced the recipe for Con Panna espresso, and today even in Italian coffee shops they use cream from cans instead of natural cream.

Another relaxation that changed both the recipe and the taste of the drink was its base. If the canonical recipe assumes as a base ONLY espresso brewed in a carob-type coffee maker, then modern variations allow the base to be prepared using a French press. Although, Italians categorically do not recognize such a drink as their “Con Panna” espresso.

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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

No

Treats for guests

The first question that arises when guests suddenly arrive is “what should I treat them with?” An Italian, without hesitation, will answer that the ideal treat would be Con Panna because it:

• Beautiful;
• tasty;
• Just;
• fast;
• stylish.

Well, in order to make the treat more festive and slightly diversify the taste, 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 after freezing 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.

It is strongly not recommended to add alcohol or syrups, because it will no longer be Con Panna, and the delicate taste of the drink will be irrevocably spoiled. Return to content

Required Ingredients

It would seem that coffee with cream - what could be simpler? But cooking has its own subtleties, and the ingredients play an important role here. Thick, delicate foam from natural fresh cream will not save bad coffee. The same scheme also works in the opposite direction: excellent espresso can easily be ruined by improperly prepared cream.

• Coffee . This drink requires aromatic espresso, with a slight bitterness. To achieve this taste, they use a mixture of the simplest and most common Arabica and bitter Robusta. You need medium-roasted beans; dark in combination with robusta will give excessive bitterness, and with light, the taste will not be rich enough. The grinding of the grains is fine.

If you like softer coffee, you can make espresso based on Arabica, without adding Robusta. But in the classic recipe it is still needed.

• Water . This component is often ignored, but the taste of coffee directly depends on the water it is prepared with. For the drink, it is better to take purified water, without foreign tastes and odors, not chlorinated, of moderate softness. Permissible mineralization from 75 to 250 mg/l. It is this kind of water that will allow the taste of coffee beans to develop properly and sparkle with the right notes.
• Powdered sugar . It is used when whipping cream. They should turn into a thick, persistent foam. Granulated sugar dissolves more slowly than the thickening process of the cream, which can lead to an unsuccessful result.
• High-fat cream is better suited for whipping ; it quickly and easily acquires the desired consistency and holds its shape for a long time. They also have a soft, delicate texture, pleasantly complementing the bitter drink.

It is not recommended to use ready-made cream in cans. They quickly melt over hot coffee, leave an unnatural chemical aftertaste and can spoil the impression of the drink.

Con Panna espresso preparation technology

If you follow all the nuances, you can prepare gourmet coffee at home if you follow the step-by-step recipe:

1. It’s better to start with cream, since this process is the most labor-intensive, especially if you whip it by hand. Whip 30 ml of cream to a thick elastic foam with a teaspoon of powdered sugar.
2. Heat the ceramic cup of the coffee maker with steam.
3. Brew classic espresso. This will require 30 ml of purified water and 7 g of prepared coffee. For double, use twice as many coffee beans for the same amount of water.
4. If desired, add sugar to the finished drink.
5. Decorate the cup with the drink with a fluffy top of whipped cream.

If you don’t have a coffee machine or coffee maker at home, you can prepare the base in a Turk. It is better to use ceramic. But you need to understand that this will no longer be a classic espresso, and therefore not an ideal Con Panna.

Coffee con panna recipe

Conpanna or the famous Viennese coffee is a classic espresso topped with whipped cream. It is very easy to prepare it at home. To do this you need high-quality coffee and a Turk or a mini coffee pot.

How to cook?

To properly prepare espresso at home, choose only finely ground and dark roasted coffee. This option will brew well and give the drink the necessary bitterness. It is better to choose 100% Arabica or 70-80% Arabica, and fill the rest with Asian Robusta. Of course, you can use regular instant coffee from a can labeled espresso, but it’s better to use natural products.

Main ingredients:

• freshly ground coffee (7-9 grams);
• purified water (up to 30 ml);
• sugar (1-3 spoons);
• cream 20-30% fat (approximately 20-25 grams).

By removing the Turk from the heat several times and returning it back, you will achieve fluffy coffee foam. After the coffee is ready, it can be poured into small cups with a volume of 30-50 ml. Sugar is added at will and, if you decide to add it, it is best to do this at the stage of preparing coffee in the Turk.

The final touch in creating kon pann will be decorating the drink with hand-made cream or from a store-bought container. Don't overdo it: a neat hat that will rise slightly above the cup is enough. If you whip the cream yourself, make sure that there are no breaks or bubbles, and that the mass acquires a smooth consistency.

How to drink the drink?

You should drink espresso with cream in small ceramic cups or cappuccino cups if you order a double portion. Viennese coffee is served along with sweet pastries (the famous Viennese strudel, croissants, cheesecakes, etc.). Decorate espresso with grated chocolate, nuts or chocolate topping. Each table in the cafe is served with a glass of cold water along with coffee.

Drawings are usually not made on the foam, but you can decorate it in any way and without latte art. For example, some baristas serve con panna with a creamy cherry or other beautiful summer berry.

Cooking options

Kon Panna is mainly prepared using the above simple method. But sometimes they make an exception, allowing themselves to experiment. In the Maria Theresia version, for example, a significant part is not only whipped cream, but also orange liqueur, and in Ueberstuerzer Neumann, cream is first added to the bowl and only then hot coffee with the addition of whipped milk is poured over it.

Con-panna options:

1. Classical.
2. Kleiner Brauner (with low-fat cream).
3. Einspänner (with powdered sugar and in a tall glass).
4. Kapuziner (double Viennese coffee).
5. Maria Theresia (with orange liqueur).
6. Eiskaffee (with ice cream and cream).

There are a lot of options for Viennese coffee recipes. Just enter the query into any search engine: how to cook con panna yourself?, and you will receive a wide variety of answers with photos and reviews. Please note that the Internet often confuses con-panna coffee with Viennese Melange coffee. But melange is made from double espresso with a little hot milk, frothed and sprinkled with cocoa powder. As we can see, this recipe does not use cream at all, without which it is impossible to imagine Viennese coffee.

What is included in kon panna?

Cooking quickly

Another simple way to make Viennese coffee is to brew it in a capsule coffee machine. To do this, you need to take a regular espresso capsule, brew it and pour the coffee into cups. After this, cream is added to the bowl.

The capsule version is an easier method of preparation, because you do not have to master the secrets of making Turkish coffee. In addition, you can make a drink not only at home, but also in the office, not in 20-30 minutes, but in less than a minute. Please note that Viennese coffee, despite the cream, is still a very strong drink. You should not drink it at night to avoid problems falling asleep.

Every company that produces capsule coffee has capsules with classic espresso made from Arabica or a mix of Arabica and Robusta. They can also be ordered on this website.