I have fond memories of tapioca pudding from childhood, although I must say, I never had it in a school cafeteria topped with whipped cream. I had homemade “Minute Tapioca”, the one in the red and blue box, and considered it a treat. I was excited to try this recipe which substituted coconut milk for part of the whole milk. I followed the recipe exactly and loved the results. In fact, I loved it so much that I have already made it a second time. I found pearl tapioca in my local health food store. They buy it in bulk and package it with their label, so I don’t know a brand name. Even though it was labeled “medium” instead of “large” as the recipe called for, it seemed just the right size for this recipe.
I soaked it overnight in the refrigerator and then drained and cooked it up the next day. It came together so quickly, just a bit of stirring required. The ingredients are simple, milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, and pearl tapioca. Most recipes for tapioca pudding call for eggs to be added, but I really like the simplicity of Dorie’s recipe. And oh yes, you didn’t have the complication of adding eggs to hot pudding. I took Dorie’s suggestion and served the pudding with fresh California strawberries and Spiced Hibiscus Syrup. Excellent choice!
This post participates in the Baking Chez Moi bake-along. To see the other participants results with this assignment visit the Tuesdays with Dorie LYL (Leave your link) blog post. The recipes are not generally posted online. You will need to buy the book for the complete set of recipes.