We have a new neighbor in my community. Cloud9 Cannabis opened this past spring. Cloud9 Cannabis is an upscale, community and education-focused recreation cannabis dispensary. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable with a low-key approach to marketing their products. As their website states: “Whether it be for creativity, relaxation, sleep-assistance, or pain management, one of our expert Cannasseurs will find the best fit for you.”
My friend Jane—who sells amazing pies at my farmers market–has a side gig there, and, of course, I couldn’t wait to see what all the buzz was about. And the more I researched the more convinced I became that products featured at Cloud9 needed to be part of my fall wellness menu.
I am one of those people who tend to dip a bit emotionally when the nights get longer and the days shorter. I used to be quite depressed by October, but I have come to embrace sadness rather than resist it and found that the more I did—the more I just sat with being sad—the less power it had over me. I now find that Fall has become a rather quiet, contemplative and rich season for me. But, like most of us, I can still use a little help….and this year I found a tiny but effective lift in a pretty blue bottle.
“Artet is non-alcoholic, gently-dosed, and delightfully versatile. This sensible blend of botanicals and cannabis can open the door to a wide world of infused cocktails or stand alone on the rocks…. Artet was inspired by the Italian tradition of aperitivo hour, and crafted for those who love intriguing flavors, open minds, and high spirits.” Add to all that an amazingly easy-to-use ingredient in your favorite little dessert!
As you will see, Artet blends beautifully in the pudding recipe below. So I made not one but three versions. Super easy because they call for cornstarch instead of egg yolks. The puddings come together in minutes, leaving you happy and satisfied. And if Mary Jane is just not the friend for you, leave her out of the recipe—still delicious.
Ingredients
- One cup whole milk
- One cup heavy cream
- Three tablespoons cornstarch
- Two tablespoons natural cocoa powder
- One tablespoon cacao
- One-fourth teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger, plus a pinch of cardamon and black pepper
- Cocoa nibs for decoration (optional)
- One ounce Artet
- One 13.5 -ounce can unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk
- Three tablespoons cornstarch
- One-third cup sugar (I use evaporated cane syrup to maintain a pretty white color.)
- Zest from one large lemon
- Two tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Two tablespoons herbed sugar syrup, infused with basil and thyme (recipe near the end of the post)
- One ounce Artet
- One cup cashew milk or milk of choice (Avoid heavy cream since the sweetened condensed milk is so rich.)
- One-half cup sweetened condensed milk
- One-half cup mixture of herbed green tea using one tablespoon Macha green tea, one tablespoon minced fresh lavender leaves and one crushed cardamon pod
- Three tablespoons of cornstarch
- One tablespoon sugar
- One-quarter teaspoon ground cardamon
- One ounce Artet
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa powder, cacao and spices. Set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk and cream and heat over medium heat. As the milk mixture heats up, whisk in the cornstarch mixture until it is completely dissolved. Cook and whisk over medium heat until the pudding begins to boil.
- Lower the heat and gently simmer, continuing to whisk, for three or four minutes. The pudding will thicken up considerably.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the Artet.
- Spoon into serving cups, allow to cool to room temperature and chill for several hours before serving. Sprinkle with cocoa nibs, if desired.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, one-third cup of sugar and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, heat the coconut milk over medium heat. As the coconut milk heats up, whisk in the cornstarch mixture until it completely dissolves. Cook and whisk over medium heat until the pudding begins to boil.
- Lower the heat and gently simmer, continuing to whisk, for three or four minutes. The pudding will thicken up considerably.
- Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, sugar syrup and the Artet.
- Spoon into serving cups, allow to cool to room temperature and chill for several hours before serving. Decorate with a basil leaf, if desired.
- Begin by making the green tea mixture by adding one-half cup of boiling water to the matcha tea powder, fresh lavender leaves and crushed cardamon pod. Steep for at least one hour, then strain into the heavy sauce pan you will use to make the pudding.
- Combine the cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl. Set this bowl aside.
- In the heavy saucepan containing the green tea mixture, add the cashew milk and sweetened condensed milk and heat over medium heat. Once the mixture gets warm, whisk in the cornstarch mixture until it completely dissolves. Cook and whisk over medium heat until the pudding begins to boil.
- Lower the heat and continue to cook and whisk for three to four minutes. The pudding will thicken up considerably.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the Artet.
- Spoon into serving cups, allow to cool to room temperature and chill for several hours before serving. Decorate with a lavender blossom, if desired.
Notes
These puddings take very little time or effort. They lend themselves to experimentation, so get creative and play with flavors. The timing listed does not include chilling time, but represents the most time you would spend at the work table and stove.
Herbed Sugar Syrup
It’s pretty impossible to make only two tablespoons of sugar syrup, but sugar syrup is a great ingredient to store in your refrigerator. It keeps at least a week. Take one cup of evaporated cane syrup (white sugar) and whisk with one cup water. Cook and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture simmers and thickens. Add two to three fresh basil leaves and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme. Allow this to steep and cool for at least an hour before straining off the herbs and using in a recipe. The extra syrup is great for lemonade, sweet tea, or your favorite cocktail.
Pudding Made Perfect Tips
It should have become clear that these recipes are consistent in many ways:
- You always need two cups of something creamy.
- You must whisk the cornstarch with the other dry ingredients, especially the sugar. This step will ensure a smooth and creamy finish with no grainy, gritty outcome that cornstarch can be known for. In fact, these puddings consistently came out with supurb texture, almost mimicking a light, delicate panna cotta.
- If you are using the Artet, you want to put it in and whisk thoroughly at the very, very end. You should not heat it for these recipes.
- Finally, you’ll note that each recipe has some botanical or super food included. The more you reseach cannabis, the more knowledge you will gain about the complexities of combining terpenes and weed to create personalized concoctions that work well for you. Lean on the experts at Cloud9. They can help clear up any smoky issues and lead you to a calmer, more uplifting future.
What else might work here? Remember the Mixed Berry and Lavender Sorbet? Oh yes, just add that shot of Artet right at the end of the chilling process before you put the sorbet in the freezer. And float on up to Cloud9.
