Tapioca Pudding

I LOVE tapioca pudding !!  My Mom used to make it when I was a kid.  She used the tapioca pudding packs you can get in the States but I can't get them here.  I wanted to try my hand at making it.  It was easy and most of all, delicious, just like I remembered it !

Here's how I made it.

3 cups milk

1/3 cup small pearl tapioca

2 egg yolks

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Put 1 cup of milk and the tapioca into the pan you are going to cook it in.  Let sit for one hour (no heat, you're just soaking the tapioca)  

Whisk in egg yolks, salt sugar and the other 2 cups of milk.  

Slowly bring the mixture to to a boil over medium heat.  Stir constantly.  As soon as it starts boiling (not a rolling boil, just the start of a boil!) reduce the heat and simmer til tapioca is fully cooked, maybe 20 minutes or so.  The tapioca beads will become bigger and see through and the 'custard' will become quick thick.  Taste as you go and stop when it's to your liking.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Cool slightly and serve.

Sticky Date Pudding

I LOVE STICKY DATE pudding.

I had never had it before coming to Australia ...

Here's how you make it ..

For the pudding:
250g pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarb soda
1.5 cups boiling water
125g softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 and 3/4 cups self raising flour, sifted

For the sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
300ml thickened cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
60g butter

Preheat oven to 180C/350F

Line (or grease) the base of a cake pan. I used a round one.

Soak the dates in the boiling water, with bicarb soda mixed in. Soak for about 20 minutes. Don't tip out the water ... although, I did (accidentally) and it was fine after I replaced it. But still, it's better if you use the water the dates soaked in !

Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in your electric mixer. Beat til pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each one is added. Fold the date mixture and flour in until well combined.

Pour this into the cake pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake. (this is tricky though since it's a sticky date ! ours didn't come out totally clean but it wasn't all goopy anymore ) Turn onto a plate.

Make the sauce ...

Over a medium heat, combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. Stir often, til sauce boils. Reduce heat and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Make holes all over the pudding with a skewer. Pour warm sauce over warm pudding. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce and ice cream !

YUM YUM YUM !!