“What’s for dessert?”
Do you hear that question as often as I do? Some people rarely eat dessert—my father is one of them. He’ll have dessert occasionally, but he usually prefers the main course or a piece of cheese to anything sweet. For him there is rarely “room” left for dessert.
My partner P. and I are different: we always have dessert. It doesn’t need to be elaborate—just officially labeled dessert. Sometimes a square of good bittersweet chocolate is enough after lunch. Other times I make a simple classic: vanilla flan, snow eggs, petit pots de crème, fruit gratin, rice pudding—or the coconut tapioca puddings I’m sharing here.
Before I met P., I rarely used coconut or tapioca. Living with someone long-term changes habits: I learned to appreciate both. Now I use fresh coconut often in desserts, and I’m exploring different kinds of tapioca pearls and tapioca flour for future experiments.
This pudding is built from a few straightforward ingredients: eggs, milk, coconut milk, grated coconut, sugar and small tapioca pearls that glisten like little jewels.
It’s satisfying and simple to prepare—above all, it’s dessert. I called out from the kitchen, “We are having coconut tapioca puddings,” and that was that. Why wouldn’t you save room for dessert?
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You need:
- 4 Tbsp small tapioca pearls
- 2/3 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3 Tbsp cane sugar, plus extra to coat the molds
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup grated coconut
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Butter for molds
Steps:
- Rinse the tapioca pearls under cold water and drain.
- In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk and milk to a gentle boil with the sugar and salt.
- Slowly add the tapioca, reduce the heat to a very low simmer and cook about 17 minutes, until the pearls are translucent and tender.
- Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Stir the grated coconut into the tapioca mixture, then add the beaten eggs and mix gently.
- Butter four small ramekins, coat the interiors with a little sugar and shake out the excess. Divide the mixture among the ramekins.
- Bake about 35–40 minutes, until puffed and golden (they will fall after cooling). Remove from the oven and let them cool a bit. These puddings are best served warm or at room temperature, rather than cold.
Ingrédients :
- 40 g de petites perles de tapioca
- 165 ml de lait de coco non sucré
- 335 ml de lait
- 40 g de sucre de canne blond + un peu pour les moules
- Pincée de sel
- 30 g de noix de coco râpée
- 2 oeufs, légèrement battus
- Beurre pour les moules
Étapes :
- Rincez les perles de tapioca sous l’eau froide et égouttez-les.
- Dans une casserole, portez le lait de coco et le lait à ébullition avec le sucre et la pincée de sel.
- Ajoutez les perles de tapioca, réduisez le feu et laissez mijoter environ 17 minutes, jusqu’à ce qu’elles soient translucides et tendres.
- Versez dans un bol et laissez tiédir.
- Préchauffez le four à 180 °C.
- Incorporez la noix de coco râpée, puis les œufs, et mélangez.
- Beurrez quatre petits ramequins et saupoudrez l’intérieur de sucre en retirant l’excès. Répartissez la préparation dans les ramequins.
- Enfournez 35–40 minutes, jusqu’à ce que les puddings soient dorés et gonflés (ils retomberont en refroidissant). Laissez tiédir avant de servir. Ils sont meilleurs tièdes ou à température ambiante.