Eggnog Panna Cotta with Cranberry Sauce

My dad would buy eggnog as soon as it was available on the stores. Giddily, we'd drink a half a glass for dessert. Tis the season! This is what December is for! Sugar and spice and a whole lot of cream. 

I still love the stuff, but not just any old eggnog. You know the "grown up" versions? Or as some may argue, the "real" version? The ones with bourbon? *Cringe*

I guess I still have some growing up to do before I'm ready for grown up eggnog. To me, the acid of the alcohol and the tinge of bourbon ruins a perfectly good glass of creaminess. Maybe I just haven't had the right glass of eggnog yet. 

Either way, I'm making the most out of this eggnog season with a dessert I've been dreaming up since--I'll admit it- the middle of summer. While it wouldn't've been that unusual for me to just get to work on an eggnog panna cotta recipe right then and there, I showed a little bit of self restraint and put it on my to do list instead. And my calendar, just for good measure. (My calendar pretty much rules my life: I go where it tells me and do what it has planned. With out it I'm a disaster).

In any case, this calendar thing is working for me, and five months later I finally got to work on an eggnog panna cotta. This recipe is the perfect light dessert that will use up any extra eggnog you may have from last week. It's simplicity and sparkle makes me think of New Years Eve, too. 

Eggnog Panna Cotta with Cranberry Sauce

Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |   

Eggnog is turned into a panna cotta and topped with bright cranberry sauce.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 active minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup milk of choice
• 1 3/4 cups eggnog of choice (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 tablespoon Great Lakes Gelatin
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 cup cranberries
• 2 tablespoons honey (or 1/4 cup if you like your cranberry sauce sweeter)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Put milk in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over top, and heat over low heat. Do not boil— just barely a simmer. Stir constantly until gelatin is dissolved, and stir in eggnog. Stir until combined, then remove from heat. Pour liquid into 4 ramekins, and cover with saran wrap. Place in fridge to set for a whole day.
2. Make the cranberry sauce for serving: heat cranberries, honey, orange juice, and cinnamon in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir until honey dissolves and cranberries begin to break apart. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. For serving: Grate fresh nutmeg over each eggnog panna cotta, and top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce. Serve.

Paleo Vanilla Custard Tarts

If you've never heard of 1-2-3 Custard, brace yourself. It's life changing. I'm talking whole new world, brand new enthusiasm for dessert, give me seconds, thirds and fifths life changing. 

When I first discovered this totally Paleo custard recipe from Primal Kitchen, that's how I felt. Before that, I didn't know what I was missing, and then BOOM! My definition of "favorite party dessert" was redefined. 

It's not just that this recipe is easy (because it is, seriously easy), it's that it is adaptable, and reminds me of those pretty fruit tarts that you might buy in a French bakery. When I was a kid, my dad would make the custard and I would get to layer the fruit in concentric circles over top. So it's a little bit fancy, a little bit nostalgic, and a lot a bit easy. Win-win! 

So more on this easy bit, in case you don't believe me yet. Like most recipes, I've adapted the original custard recipe to my own preferences. Instead of baking the custard in ramekins, I temper the filling over the stove until it turns into a thick pudding. Then I just spoon the mixture into dishes and let it chill. 

Bottom line: Three ingredients. Three steps. That's it! See...

1 can of coconut milk, two bananas, and three eggs (that's where the 1-2-3 comes from... get it?). Then you just:

1. Blend

2. Temper

3. Set

The proof is in the pudding! ;)  

I'm not a fan of mega sweet desserts, but I know one thing about this dessert: it's good whether you're Paleo, health conscious or even just into sweets. Somehow, coconut milk + bananas + eggs = silky, creamy marvelousness. 

You make this for dessert, and your guests might get so excited they'll ask to be a part of the photo shoot. True story. -------------->

(Weird, but also sort of awesome.) 

Paleo Vanilla Custard Tarts

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |   

This recipe can be made with a pie crust or with out one—either way its good!

Serves: 7   |    Total Time: 3 hours, including set time

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Ingredients:

• Optional: 1 recipe Paleo Pie Crust*
• 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk (full-fat)
• 2 bananas
• 3 eggs
• Optional: vanilla
• Fruit of choice for decorating

Directions:

1. Prepare pie crust according to directions (prepare it in one pie pan for 1 large tart of divide it among small dishes for individual tarts).
2. In a blender, combine the coconut milk, banana, and egg. Add vanilla if using. Puree until smooth.
3. Pour the custard mixture into a sauce pan. Heat over medium-low heat. Stir with a whisk frequently. If you see the bottom begins to cook faster than the rest of the mixture, reduce the heat further. Book uncovered for 30 minutes, until the mixture thickens and reaches a pudding consistency.
4. Spoon the pudding into the dishes (or crust). Cover loosely with plastic or another lid. Place in fridge and allow to set for 2-3 hours.
5. Top custards with fruit in concentric circles. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.