Coconut Tapioca

Procrastination is an evil friend. A friend that I spend way too much time with. A friend that causes me untold stress, forces me to stay up late into the night to complete something before it is too late, causes people to shake their heads at me in despair. But sometimes...just sometimes procrastination works on my side, helps me out (or is really that having procrastination appear to "help" you is just part of her evil plan to keep you coming back for more of her evil ways). 

Either way this week my complete and utter devotion to procrastination helped me make delicious, creamy, coconutty tapioca since I was able to read through the other bakers' posts and learn from their experience. From what I learned I decided to use pearl tapioca (and not the large ones), I used the seeds from a vanilla bean to give it more flavor (instead of using vanilla extract) and to keep it from being too soupy I decreased the amount of liquid. I also decided to add an egg yolk since this is traditionally used in tapioca pudding so in the name of richness and thickness I added one.

A number of bloggers noted that tapioca reminded them of elementary school lunches. If only I was so lucky! I want to know where they went to elementary school so I can go there and eat at that lunch room.  I am not sure I would have ever left elementary school if I was able to have tapioca pudding every day for lunch. They would have had to eventually force me into middle school because with tapioca on the menu I would not have left elementary school willingly. I adore the stuff. I have even been known (in my darker moments) to eat the premade stuff that is found in the dairy section straight from the tub it comes in. But now that I have had a taste of the good stuff, a taste of slightly warm, creamy, homemade goodness life will never be the same. I am addicted. A tapioca junkie. And since neither my husband nor my shortie like tapioca or coconut (because they are wrong and slightly crazy) it is mine...all mine!

On a more personal note you may not know but the Bawlmer in "Baking in Bawlmer" is how Baltimorians pronounce Baltimore, and even though I left Baltimore 9 months ago my heart is breaking for the state that my beloved city is in. The city needs prayers and love so if you have any of either to spare please send them that way.


Now the small print:
Coconut Tapioca, Baking Chez Moi, page 382