The original, non-Paleo recipe comes from a favorite cookbook called Short and Sweet by Melanie Barnard. It is full of easy dessert recipes, many of which can be adapted with Paleo ingredients. This luscious pudding is one of them.

​Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 TBS arrowroot powder
2 cups canned organic coconut milk
2 large egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk coconut sugar and arrowroot in a saucepan.
2. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk until smooth.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and whisk about a half cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and then return the yolk mixture to the pan.
5. Cook, stirring, for about one minute, until it is smooth and starting to thicken.
6. Remove from heat and add ghee and vanilla. Do not stir. Let stand for two minutes, than gently whisk until just blended.
7. Divide into ramekins. Either serve warm or chill for several hours.

Text excerpted from SHORT AND SWEET © 1999 by Melanie Barnard. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

​This one also originally came from Short and Sweet. And, although I have fond memories of the My-T-Fine Instant Pudding of my childhood, this one is SO much finer (and mightier).

Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
3 TBS arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups full fat coconut milk
3 oz. Paleo-friendly bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Coconut cream from top of can of coconut milk for garnish, optional

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the coconut sugar, cacao, arrowroot and salt.
2. Whisk in one cup of coconut milk until smooth, and then whisk in second cup.
3. Set pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to whisk and boil for another minute.
4. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes until chocolate is melted and then stir gently until pudding is smooth.
5. Pour pudding into dessert bowls. Let cool for about 20 minutes to serve warm, or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with unsweetened coconut cream, if desired.

Text excerpted from SHORT AND SWEET © 1999 by Melanie Barnard. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
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Ingredients

1 cup coconut cream (from top of canned organic coconut milk) plus 1/4 cup coconut water from the same can
2/3 cup canned organic pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of sea salt
Coconut cream from top of can of coconut milk for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, stir together coconut cream and coconut water and bring to a simmer.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, coconut sugar, spices and salt.
4. Slowly whisk the the hot coconut cream into the egg mixture.
5. Divide the custard into heat-proof ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking pan half filled with hot water (so water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins). Bake custards until they are nearly set in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Remove ramekins from the water bath. Let cool for a few minutes to serve warm or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Garnish with unsweetened coconut cream, if desired.

​Text excerpted from SHORT AND SWEET © 1999 by Melanie Barnard. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

​So, creamy tapioca pudding is probably my number one comfort ( read nursery) food. And, since tapioca is not a grain or legume and is gluten-free, it is grudgingly acceptable to Paleo experts. "Grudgingly" because this starch is low on nutrients and high on nothing but carbs. On the other hand, chia seeds have protein and healthy fatty acids. So, substituting chia for tapioca in this classic recipe makes sense, and while it tastes yummy, I'm probably not likely to binge on it. It's also healthy enough to have for breakfast.

But, if we have catastrophic election results in November, that will be me inhaling pots of REAL tapioca pudding (well, real Paleo tapioca pudding, using coconut milk and coconut sugar), carbs or no carbs.

It's a whole lot less complicated than moving to Canada.

Ingredients

1 can organic full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup white chia seeds
5 TBS coconut sugar
Pinch of sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
Unsweetened coconut cream (from top of can of coconut milk) for garnish, optional

1. Mix coconut milk, chia seeds, coconut sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Whisk 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the beaten egg, one or two tablespoons at a time.
3. Add egg mixture back into saucepan and cook over low heat  for one or two minutes until mixture is thick.
4. Pour into ramekins and let sit until cool. Garnish with a dollop of unsweetened coconut cream if desired.

We bought a wonderful herby roast chicken from my favorite purveyor, Les Rôtisseries du Roy, around the corner from our apartment in Montmartre. It was pricy, 23 euros, but it was "bio" (organic) and so luscious that a few days later we bought another one. With fresh greens and tiny haricots verts , followed by fresh strawberries (all purchased from the greengrocers across the street, which had more than freshness and locale going for it: I shopped there every day because the proprietor responded to my attempts to speak passable French in, well, French!), it made a perfect Parisian meal.
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In the Netherlands, they serve small pancakes called pannenkoeken. Needless to say, I didn't sample them. While this recipe is not from the Netherlands ( its origins may be Pennsylvania Dutch) it is something I used to make with my kids when they were little. It makes a great brunch dish, with bacon and soft-scrambled eggs on the side.
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