Tapioca Pudding

A refreshingly light summer dessert that is highly amenable to a variety of ingredients. This makes a loose pudding; for more body, use 1/2 cup tapioca.

1. Soak 1/3 cup small tapioca pearls in 2 cups milk overnight in the refrigerator. This pre-soaking speeds up the cooking process. To use instant/minute tapioca, soak in milk at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Transfer tapioca mix to sauce pan (or plan ahead and soak tapioca in saucepan). Add 2 cups milk and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (I find 1/4 cup to be sufficient). Over medium heat, stir until just bubbling. Tapioca should be translucent or near translucent at this point. Turn down heat and allow tapioca to simmer.

3. Beat 2 eggs in a heatproof bowl. Ladle about 1 cup tapioca into eggs while stirring to temper the eggs.

4. Turn the heat off the pudding. While stirring pudding, slowly pour in egg mixture.

5. Transfer pudding into serving container (custard cups or dessert bowl).

6. Serve warm or cold. I prefer cold with a dollop of whipped cream and a generous drizzle of fruit sauce.


Variations:

-Milk can be any fat content or part cream or part water or other vegetarian/vegan friendly milk. My favorite combinations: (1) 2 cups of milk + 1 can coconut milk + splash of cream; (2) 1 cup homemade almond puree and 3 cups water or milk.

-Eggs are optional - they make for a richer custard.

-Use any sweetener you prefer - white sugar, brown sugar, rock sugar, palm sugar, honey, maple syrup... Liquid sugars will make pudding a little looser; decrease milk by 2-4 tablespoons to maintain consistency.

-Add any flavor extract you like - 1/2-1 teaspoon; any flavored liquor - 1-2 tablespoons.


Something interesting to try: 1 can coconut milk + 1-1/2 cups whole milk + 1/2 cup cream + 1/2 cup sugar (maybe more) to make popsicles. A richer custard will decrease ice crystals and sweeter to compensate for loss of flavor intensity at cold temperatures.