Vanilla & Clove Panna Cotta with Honeyed Persimmon

The tree is lit, woodland creatures nestled in its burly boughs.  The wreath hangs idly while the nativity set before me reminds me the Advent season is upon us. In silent reverie I take in the scent of fir, wafting it's way through the house. A cup of warmed coconut milk laced in clove and cinnamon removes the chill from the air. I am left with my thoughts, all of the stress and worry despoiled by the joy of the season. I melt into the chair as if grafted into its very fibers, unaware of the time, oblivious to the myriad of to-do's. I pray. One by one my anxious thoughts, insecurities and petty fears ooze sebaceously out of my mind. The cadence of my heart slows and I am left, yoke removed, with peace. 

So with a peaceful heart I bring you a comforting dish, inspired by that warmed cup of coconut milk on that cold winters day. Panna cotta, traditionally made with milk and cream, is a dream to make with coconut milk. The consistency and texture is just as creamy and smooth. Though eaten chilled, the vanilla and clove makes this a lovely addition to your winter season repertoire. 

From my hearth to yours I wish you peace and joy this Christmas season!

Vanilla & Clove Panna Cotta (serves 4)

FYI- Please note the panna cotta comes out a slightly tan shade, not bright white. For some reason my camera captured it lighter than it really is. Tips to make is more white are to use clove essential oil instead of ground cloves, a very pale honey rather than dark or a different sweetener such as stevia :)

• 1 14oz can of full fat coconut milk (SCD followers, the Natural Value brand does not have guar gum in it)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod reserved
• 2 TBS water
• 1 3/4 tsp non flavored gelatin

Pour gelatin into a bowl and stir in the water. Set aside.

Place coconut milk, honey, cloves, vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 

Remove vanilla pod and discard. 

Pour 1/2 cup of the coconut mixture into the bowl with the gelatin and mix until all of the gelatin is dissolved. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the coconut milk.

Divide mixture evenly among 4 ramekins or small glass bowls. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

Remove molds from the fridge. Pour hot water into a bowl, dip each ramekin into the hot water (the water should only go about halfway up the ramekin or bowl, this helps loosen the molds). Run a sharp knife along the edges of the panna cotta to help separate it from the sides.

Place a plate on top of the molds and invert. The panna cotta should slide right out. 

If you are having trouble getting the panna cotta out it may not be set, simply place back in the fridge and try again.

Honeyed Persimmon

• 1 very ripe persimmon, peeled and chopped(it is key your persimmon is ripe, otherwise it will be horribly bitter)
• 1 TBSP honey

In a small pan sauté the persimmon with the honey until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.

Comments

[la domestique]

I've never tried panna cotta with coconut milk looks delicious. Such a delicate and smooth dessert. Pomegranate seeds are a lovely garnish.

[Rosa]

A beautiful and refined dessert! Your pictures are just stunning.

Cheers,

Rosa

[leaf (the indolent cook)]

Ah... the warm flavours of this panna cotta, along with the cooked persimmon, must be quite a delight.

[Mark]

Gorgeous Caitlin, I love how you captured the dripping coconut milk. Bravo.

[Nicola]

Nourishment for the body and the spirit - I really look forward to your posts.

[Maria]

OMG, I looooove your blog. Im a new follower, but Im totally IN ! Love your pics, your poem-like texts, and I can't wait to your next post. "Merry December" (:

[Aina]

Your Images are absolutely stunning !!
I am so Inspired by your blog.

Greetings from Norway

[Verena]

Just what I needed: A simple but heartwarming blog with beautiful photos and a very delicious recipe. I love Panna Cotta with coconut Milk, gives it an extra touch. Thanxs!

[Magda]

The coconut milk in the panna cotta intrigues me so! Thanks for such a beautiful dessert Coco.
Happy holidays to you and your family!

[Lisa @ Tarte du Jour]

I loved reading your words in this post. You describe well that blissful moment of peace that one can only achieve by stilling your mind with prayer. The panna cotta is a gem... lovely in its simplicity!

[Bev Weidner]

Why do I want to smear that all over my face and lick it off?

[Samantha @ Bikini Birthday]

I've never made panna cotta before but it doesn't sound as difficult as I thought it would be.

[Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free]

This looks delicious! I love using coconut milk for recipes. I recently made a pumpkin pie and a whipped cream-both very tasty.

[Leigh]

Looks amazing Caitlin, as always! We must catch up soon!

[Ashley]

There is such a warm, rich quality to your photos. I just love it! Such a unique, winter, dessert!

[anita]

Just too beautiful.

[Maria @ ScandiFoodie]

This is gorgeous. I adore persimmons and this makes such a lovely dairy-free dessert! We are approaching the hottest time of the year here in Sydney and it is still hard for me to somehow comprehend that Christmas happens to be in the middle of summer! I wish you and your family peaceful and happy holidays! xx

[The Life After]

Cloves are so good!!! Love them!

http://missbobino.blogspot.com

[not a cook but now i might try]

love this....i might have to try!

[Gillian]

Brilliant SCD recipe! It's always a real joy to see the variety of desserts that you can eat while following the SCD. Especially holiday desserts - the pomegranate seeds are a great idea for a festive touch.
Thanks Coco, and Merry Christmas!

[Jo]

Gorgeous pictures. Would love for you to share this with us over at foodepix.com.

[belle]

what a delicious sounding (and looking!) recipe! Im going to grab a coffee and read more, so glad i found your blog :) Belle

[Rainy Daisy]

Your blog is so utterly beautiful! And you make a very convincing case for the specific carbs diet. I have to ask, though - what do you eat on a daily basis?

Happy winter to you and your hubs :)
Cheers!
Daisy

[Kathryn Sparks]

I loooove full-fat coconut milk--AND my picky eater husband does too. This is going on the make-it-soon list!
Peace to you, and thanks.

[Lia]

I can taste it with my eyes! Lovely! And your writing is just as dreamy as the pictures!

[Mindy]

I just made this tonight and OH MY GOSH, it spells wonderful. I can't wait to eat it. It's in the fridge chilling right now. One question, how in the word did you get yours so WHITE? Mine is more of a tan brownish color. I'm guessing that is because of the cloves and honey? I'm sure it will taste fabulous, but it sure isn't beautiful. Any tips to make it look nicer?

[Christina]

I just wanted to let you know that I stumbled upon your lovely blog and shared about it on my blog. I am enjoying all your pictures and have enjoyed your story as well.

[thelittleloaf]

I love how you've used coconut milk in this panacotta and can imagine it's beautifully light and sweet against the vanilla and clove tones. Your photos are absolutely stunning, as always. Beautiful post.

[Helene]

your pictures are stunning as always and the recipe sounds GORGEOUS. i have to make this. thanks for this heartwarming and mouthwatering post.

[Coco]

Rainy Daisy- I eat A LOT! Eggs, salads, meats, cheese, lots of veggies, nut butters with fruit, baked goods made with almond flour....the list is long!

Mindy, mine was actually tan but the way it photographed it came out more white. I also used a very light colored honey, I used a creamy country honey that was more yellow than brown. If you want you could use a few drops of clove essential oil (found in places like Whole Foods and other specialty groceries) rather than use the ground clove, this will lighten it up a bit. I know its not the prettiest color in the world but it tastes divine!

[hannahmarie]

Panna cotta is one of my favorite desserts. I love the use of persimmon here, I've been learning how to use and love it.

[{Gail}A Stack of Dishes]

Once again your beautiful photos are a delight. I am a big panna cotta fan but never thought about coconut milk. Fantastic!

[minxi]

Thanks for a fantastic and beatiful, inspiring blog!!
I just started to steer away from grains and dairy products.
Have a few questions, since I don´t know so much yet about this kind of food...and hope You have the time to answer them ;)

*What do You think about soy and coconut products?
Aren´t they highly processed food?

*How come lentils are "good" when beans are "bad"?

Thanks You so much, hoping to see lots of inspiring recipes with Your beautiful pictures :)

[Hannah]

What a gorgeous, inspiring post! Your photos are simply lovely and I can't wait to try this panna cotta. Happy Christmas to you!

[Jenni]

Your blog is one of my new favorites. Thank you for your attention to detail, in the text, the recipes and your stunning photos. This panna cotta looks divine!

[Eliza]

Another lovely (and delicious) recipe! I made the panna cotta last night and it was much-loved! Quince works well as a honeyed fruit topping also!

[Vanessa]

I just love your blog. Your photos and ideas are so perfect.

[Beauty Follower]

Great photos... the dessert looks delicious.

[Roberta]

Hi, thank you for the beautiful photos and recipe! I've tried many version of a vegan pannacotta with coconut milk myself and I do agree it is just as smooth and delicious! I use agar agar instead og gelatine though..
just a question: I don't understand the quantity of coconut milk needed for this recipe: is it 14 oz?
thank you so much!

[Brian @ A Thought For Food]

It's so wonderful to see coconut milk being used in here instead of heavy cream. I bet it gives it such a wonderful lightness. Beautiful!

[Coco]

Minxi- thank you for the note! We do not consume any soy products. These days soy is a filler and often genetically modified and full of chemicals so we avoid it completely. I have not heard much about coconut products being processed so I would need to research that.

As for the legumes that we eat.....we follow the SCD diet which states that we should stay away from complex carbs because they are too difficult for my husband to break down. Some beans have a more carbs than others thus reacting differently in the body, this explains why we can have lentils but notkidney beans.


Thank you Roberta, yes it is 1 14oz can of coconut milk.

[Dana]

this looks delicious... & i love your writing!!! :) xo

[Kristen]

Love this post- and was very intrigued to try this recipe because of the coconut milk. I passed this recipe along to my mother who is having a luncheon with about 10 ladies. When she finished making the panna cotta last night, she called me to tell me that they looked very dark like soup. I love your recipe and blog, but was slightly disappointed to hear that the panna cotta does not come out white like the photo. Your tips for using a lighter colored honey and clove essential oils were excellent, maybe you could include those tips directly in the post? Thanks again for all of your great recipes and ideas, have a beautiful day!

[Rikki]

Really Beautiful photography and writing!
Hope you have a Merry Christmas [:

[Russell at Chasing Delicious]

Such beautiful and inspiring shots! And this recipe sounds killer.

[amy @ crazy random happenses]

I've never made panna cotta. It may be time to try! This looks fantastic.

[Dawn (KitchenTravels)]

Hi Coco - I hope you are enjoying the holiday season so far! I've made coconut milk panna cotta a couple times before (flavored with vanilla and/or banana), and it is indeed delicious. One of my daughters is having some negative side effects from granulated sugar - even the "unprocessed" kind - so I am experimenting with using honey, agave and brown rice syrups, and even Medjool dates in place of sugar in my baked goods so that she can still enjoy sweets once in a while. It is sometimes challenging, but fun! So, of course it is great to see blogs like yours showcasing natural sweeteners. Always love your photography and recipes. Stay well. xo

[Alanna]

This looks amazing, and I'm always looking for new ways to use persimmons and pomegranates. Your photography is just exquisite, as is your site design. Kudos!

[sara]

gorgeous! I enjoy panna cotta every now and then, but a coconut version really intrigues me! I do love persimmon, but don't use it often in cooking, only as a snack. Love the use of it here, nice to see it bright and pretty instead of pureed into a baked good! Hope your holiday season is wonderful for you and family!!

[Ellen]

I've seen both standard (not low fat) coconut milk, and coconut cream, which is even higher in fat. Can you specify which one you used?
Beautiful photos--we can't wait to try this recipe.