Recipe: Strawberry Tapioca Pudding

I made this version of tapioca pudding when I found my garden over-laden with strawberries one year, and it was an immediate hit.

My roommate at the time, who professed an unyielding hatred for all things tapioca, was persuaded to try a bit...and immediately asked for a whole bowl full, which she promptly devoured with gusto.

Give it a try - you're sure to enjoy it!

• If you use a double boiler to cook tapioca, it makes it easier to avoid burning it
• If you don't have one, use the pan with the thickest bottom

Take 2/3 cup dry white tapioca pearls, and soak them in 1 cup milk for at least 30 minutes [check package instructions, some tapioca types may require longer soaking times].

Sometimes, if the strawberries I'm using have been sitting long enough to develop a lot of juice, I'll soak them in that instead of the milk, or if there's not quite enough I'll mix the juice and milk together.

Save out 1/2 cup of your strawberries, and put the rest in the fridge to chill.

Place tapioca/milk mix in a large pot, adding another 4 ½ cups milk and ½ tsp salt. Mix in 2 egg yolks [save the whites in a separate bowl], and stir it well. Begin to slowly bring it to a boil over the course of 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure it doesn't scorch on the bottom. As it nears the boiling point, you'll need to stir constantly - if it burns, it will ruin the flavor.

After it boils, turn the heat down to very low immediately, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix together the egg whites and the sugar, beating it well so they are thoroughly combined. Add to the tapioca mix.

It's important to stir it in VERY quickly once you've added it. If you don't mix it in thoroughly right away, you may end up with chunks of cooked egg whites, which isn't very nice.

Add in the 1/2 cup of strawberries, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Stir well.

Ladle hot tapioca into bowls. Fetch the rest of your strawberries from the fridge, and top each bowl with a generous spoonful or two of chilled strawberries. Serve immediately.