Tapioca Cream

Bowl of Tapioca CreamTapioca Cream can be eaten plain or dressed up with fruit and cream but because the pudding is so creamy, no whipped cream or topping is really necessary for garnish.

I have warm fuzzy memories of Tapioca Cream.  It's Dad, not Mom, who comes to mind when I think of this creamy treat.  Mom did most of the cooking and baking but Dad liked to try his hand at baking on the weekends.  That was when he usually made his wonderful but forever-lost cookie recipes.  But on occasion he would make something different for a change.  

Tapioca Cream is one of those treats I remember Dad making.  I can see him stirring the pudding over the old oil stove and mixing the hot pudding into the beaten egg whites.  My, that was so tasty.  I still love it to this day and can eat the whole potful if given only a small chance. 

Fortunately, unlike Dad's cookie recipes, the recipe for Tapioca Cream is not lost as it was on the side or back of the tapioca box for years but I noticed only the pudding is printed on the box now.  It's basically the same recipe but you separate the egg and mix the hot pudding into the meringue for Tapioca Cream.  And the recipe is all over the internet and blogosphere so it will never be lost. 

Mixing the scalding hot pudding into the raw meringue makes the egg white very safe to eat.  The heat from the pudding not only partially cooks the meringue but pasteurizes it so it is safe for eating. 

Tapioca Cream can be eaten plain or dressed up with fruit and cream.  It is the ideal dessert for winter as it takes to canned fruit like a duck to water.  Layer fruit and cold Tapioca Cream for a lovely light dessert parfait.  Canned peaches or apricots are particularly nice paired with the pudding.  Although whipped cream can be used as a topping it really isn't necessary because the pudding is so wonderfully creamy.

Note: Make sure you use the quick cooking tapioca usually sold under the name Minit or Minute.

Printable recipe at end of post.
Tapioca Cream
  • 3 tablespoons Minit/Minute Tapioca  
  • 2 - 2½ cups milk
  • 1 egg, separated
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
How to make it:
Mix tapioca, milk, egg yolk, salt and 3 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan. Let stand 5 minutes.  If you want a softer pudding use the larger amount of milk.

While tapioca is soaking, beat egg white with electric mixer on high speed until foamy.  Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.  
 

Cook the soaked tapioca over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full boil. Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla

Quickly stir the hot tapioca mixture into the beaten egg white until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and cool 20 minutes and stir. Serve warm or chilled.  Store leftover pudding in refrigerator.   The pudding will become thicker as it chills. 

Makes 4-6 servings.


Prepare the pudding by soaking the egg yolk, sugar, Minit Tapioca and milk together for 5 minutes.  Transfer saucepan to stove top and bring to a full boil over medium heat.  This will take 5-8 minutes of watching and stirring.  As the mixture cooks the tapioca will swell and thicken the milk mixture. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Before cooking the pudding, beat the egg white and sugar into a stiff meringue.  When the pudding is cooked, stir and fold the hot mixture into the prepared meringue.  The hot pudding will cook and pasteurize the raw egg white.  The meringue is the "cream" that makes the pudding so creamy and light.

Serve warm or cold.

I like my pudding cold but I'll eat it warm if I must!

Bowl of Tapioca Cream
Tapioca Cream all dressed up for dinner.

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩         

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