DF Coconut Tapioca Pudding -revised

O my!  I made this tonight so Vanessa would have a safe treat in her lunch tomorrow.  All I can say is Wow!!!  I love coconut, and I love Tapioca pudding...why I never thought to make the two as one I do not know...but this is a great way to do it!  It is easy and almost whole...just need to find a more "wholesome" way to sweeten this...

Ingredients:

        1/3 cup pearl tapioca

        2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

        1/8 teaspoon salt (or just to taste)

        1/4 cup sucanat or turbanado sugar

         1 egg yolk

         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

         1/8 tsp. coconut extract

Directions:

     1.  Soak pearls in coconut milk for 30 min in a saucepan. 

     2.  Bring the tapioca, coconut milk, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat,

          stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

     3.  In separate small bowl, beat egg yolk. Add a large spoonful, or two to egg and whisk fairly 

         quickly to keep egg from cooking in globs.  Add egg mix to the rest of the mix in the saucepan. 

     4.  Stir in sugar and mix well. 
     5.  Remove from heat and add flavorings.  Serve warm or chilled.

  

I actually made this with homemade coconut milk using 3 cups of the milk.  I tasted it without the egg and it kind of lacked body.  It seemed to thicken just fine without it, but that yolk kind of adds a depth or richness to it.  I also used less than the 1/4 c sugar and it seemed to be plenty sweet.  Without any sweetener it was again lacking depth.  Someday I hope to be able to enjoy this kind of stuff without sweeteners of any kind...  Not sure that I will ever like an unsweetened Tapioca pudding but I definitely like it less sweet than I used to!