When I go grocery shopping, there are three things I practically stockpile every time: butter, heavy cream, and eggs. If I could carry Sam’s Club or Costco-sized loads of these products home on each occasion I would.

Living in a city where you have to carry your groceries for blocks completely changes your perspective on needs versus wants, but we’re not even going to get into my city life rationing groceries and acting like a pack mule (at least not this time).

Sometimes, but only on occasion, as I try to utilize my food inventory in the most efficient and unwasteful manner, I have “overstock”. Case in point: Four pint-sized cartons of heavy cream, all unopened but nonetheless facing impending expiration dates.

So, I decided to make panna cotta. Not just your typical white disc surrounded in berry sauce or whatnot, but a quivering, pale yellow panna cotta scented with exotic saffron and cardamom. And then I adorned its creamy richness with freshly grated cinnamon and crushed pistachios.

Don’t be confused, however, with pudding, or creme brulee. Panna cotta, especially in this recipe, is rich and creamy, with the help of all that heavy cream, but it is not heavy. There is only the slightest amount of gelatin in panna cotta to give it just enough structure so it holds its shape-barely.

This creates that quivering spoonful that is much more worthy of a Jurassic Park scene. And sopisticated. Jell-o, really?

Saffron and Cardamom Panna Cotta (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 3 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 cardamom pods
• Slightly rounded 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3 leaves of sheet gelatin*
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Finely chopped or grated pistachios for garnish (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar, and salt until steaming hot, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Off the heat, add the cardamom pods and saffron. Cover and allow to steep for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside (without stirring) for 5 to 10 minutes to let the gelatin soften.

*If using gelatin leaves, soak the leaves in the cold milk to soften them, then fish the softened sheets from the milk and stir them into the hot cream (after steeping) until completely dissolved. Stir in the milk, and proceed as directed.

Add the milk and gelatin to the cream mixture and reheat to steaming, stirring well to dissolve the gelatin. Strain the mixture into a bowl, preferably stainless steel; discard the cardamom pods. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of water and ice cubes and stir frequently until the mixture thickens and registers 50 degrees F on a thermometer.

Divide the mixture evenly among ramekins or dessert dishes (I used espresso cups, which created more than six servings). Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 but preferably 12 hours. Before serving, use a microplane to grate a little stick of cinnamon over each one, and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

Serves 6