My mind is in the tropics, with sand between the toes and an umbrella drink clutched in hand. Two weekends ago, I was in the Bahamas with my friend Sam, taking my first beach trip since I studied abroad in Sydney seven years ago, despite having reassured myself every month since then that a seaside retreat would come soon, so very soon. Sorry, self — I misjudged.
Once the beach was within sight, I stripped off my oversized gingham shirt like it was on fire and sprinted into the waves to do some hardcore frolicking.
I didn’t even stop to check for sharks.
Speaking of which, dressing for the beach is so easy because it’s just 1) bathing suit and 2) something to cover that bathing suit. But in Seattle, it’s back to pants. Ugh. Pants, you guys. PANTS.
Indulge me while I share some vacation snaps with you all, seeing as how my nice tropical tan will soon fade now that I’m back to spending 8+ hours a day indoors in an office. Just let me have this.
One thing I do wish I got to experience more was delicious tropical food, especially of the coconut and mango variety. Maybe the Cruise Ship Diet sounds good for some people, but I got pretty tired of hot dogs and hamburgers by Day Two. I know, I’m a cretin.
Now that I’m back in my own kitchen and not at the whim of whatever the crew could haul on board, I want to indulge my tropical fruit craving with something wonderfully cold and sweet (but not too sweet). Tapioca pudding is something I only recently discovered, and it’s super easy to make once you get the recipe right.
The first time I made this, I tried using all coconut milk, but the result was cloying, and the texture was greasy and somehow also gritty. Yikes. So for Coconut Pudding Redux, I mixed regular milk with the coconut milk (and threw in some vanilla bean), and success! This is what I was going for — silky and smooth, with the tapioca pearls providing just the tiniest amount of chew. And a pleasant coconut presence, not a punch you in the mouth and take your lunch money one.
And maybe — just maybe — as you eat this coconut-y, mango-y delight and close your eyes, you’ll almost feel the sea salt-laden Caribbean breeze blowing through your hair. Here’s to hoping.
Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Vanilla Bean
Yield: ~10 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (not including cooling time)
- 1/3 cup tapioca pearls (I used small)
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1 can coconut milk (about 13 oz)
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature and slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half and scraped to get the seeds
Soak the tapioca pearls with 1 cup of milk in a medium saucepan. When they’re done soaking, add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk thoroughly.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it begins to simmer. Do not let it boil. This took about 10 minutes for me.
Turn the heat down to low/low-medium. Whisk frequently until the mixture thickens and the tapioca pearls become soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it cool, whisking intermittently. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. Once it’s warm (and not scalding hot), whisk it one more time and transfer it to a glass container. Press some cling wrap to the surface of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming on it. Let it continue cooling in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy.
Give it a good stir when you’re ready to eat, and serve as-is or with mango chunks.
