Queen of Tapioca pudding

Tapioca pudding is a universal comfort food that particularly hits the spot when it is bitterly cold and one is craving a bit of sweetness. That said it is delicious served warm or cold. Tapioca provides body and texture to a simple custard base, and this dessert can be dolled up further with a meringue topping, for a Queen of Tapioca pudding.

Tapioca pudding transports me back to boarding school days in the Free State, where a watery dessert containing ‘frogs eggs’ passed as tapioca pudding! But this is not what we are talking about here!

Tapioca is made from the starch of cassava or manioc root and is available in pearled forms of different sizes. Instant tapioca does not require pre-soaking. I prefer using small pearl tapioca, with a soaking time of about 30 minutes (check the package instructions). Use a heavy-based saucepan set over gentle heat.

For a basic Tapioca pudding, omit the meringue topping in the Queen of Tapioca recipe below.

Queen of Tapioca pudding

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 6-8

Tapioca pudding, a universal comfort food, is topped with meringue.

Ingredients

⅓ cup small pearl tapioca
¾ cup cold water
2¼ cups milk
½ cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
¼ teaspoon almond OR vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apricot jam, (optional) slightly warmed

Topping

2 egg whites OR ⅓ cup pasteurized egg whites
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup ultra fine Baker’s sugar
¼ teaspoon almond OR vanilla extract

Instructions

Soak the tapioca in cold water in a heavy-based saucepan for 30 minutes. Do not drain.
Add the milk, sugar and salt to the tapioca and heat to boiling point while stirring.
Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes until the tapioca becomes transparent.
Beat the egg whites (from the two separated eggs) to the soft peak stage.
Whisk the yolks in a separate mixing bowl and partially fold in the whites.
Pour some of the hot tapioca mixture over the egg, while stirring, and then return to the saucepan.
Add the almond or vanilla extract and fold in gently, until thoroughly mixed.
Scrape the pudding into a bowl (1.5-quart capacity), and place it in the oven at 350˚F to heat through, while the meringue topping is made OR

For a basic Tapioca pudding, leave the tapioca-egg mixture in the saucepan, heat to boiling point, while stirring and simmer over very low heat for 10-15 minutes - instead of using the oven. Serve hot or cold, with or without the jam.

Topping

Beat the egg whites and add the cream of tartar.
As soon as the whites are foamy (not quite at the soft peak stage), start adding the sugar very slowly, beating well after each addition.
When all the sugar has been added, the whites will be stiff and shiny.
Mix in the extract.
Remove the pudding from the oven, dot the surface with the apricot jam and gently spoon the topping over the surface of the pudding. Make sure that it covers the surface all the way to the edges. Use a fork to form peaks for visual effect.
Bake at 350˚F for about 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve hot, warm or cold.

Notes

Instead of separating the egg whites and yolks, whisk the whole eggs and combine with the hot tapioca mixture. The pudding will not be as light and fluffy.

The base ingredients must be hot when topped with meringue to avoid a damp layer forming, between the pudding and meringue.

For maximum eye-appeal serve when taken from the oven, as the meringue settles.