Coconut Pudding From Around the World

Coconut pudding may not be the most common of desserts in the United States, but it is a delicious treat that can lend an exotic flavor to any meal without any difficulty or fuss.

Here are some great coconut pudding variations from around the world:

Haupia is a Hawaiian coconut pudding made with coconut milk, regular milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Heat over low heat until it thickens and boils and then chill. If you don’t have time to make it from scratch, you can use a pudding mix like Rawleigh’s Coconut Dessert Mix and prepare according to package directions.

French coconut pudding with frosting is similar to haupia but it includes four egg yolks in the recipe, making it more of a coconut custard. Beat the whites along with a little cream of tartar to make a meringue topping for it if you have time.

Another easy coconut pudding you can make with mix is Caribbean coconut pudding. Prepare the mix according to package directions and add half a cup of shredded coconut before the pudding cools. Once it’s solidified, top with canned crushed pineapple and a maraschino cherry.

In Thailand, street vendors sell a snack called khanom krok, which is loosely translated as coconut pudding. It’s a combination of coconut cream and flour that is fried in a pan over a charcoal fire. This is best eaten piping hot, and in Thailand is often served inside half a coconut shell.

Coconut bread pudding is another interesting variation on bread pudding. (This recipe is actually from the Rainforest Café restaurant so technically it’s American but it does have that exotic flavor.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cover the bottom of a 10x13 inch pan with white bread cut into cubes. Sprinkle 1/6 cup of julienned dried apricots and ¼ a cup sweetened shredded coconut on top. Cover this with another layer of bread cubes and then repeat the sprinkling of the apricots and coconut.

Heat 2 cups of whole milk, 30 ounces of cream of coconut, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 6 eggs and 1 ½ cups sugar over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Ladle this mixture over the bread, cover with foil and bake inside a water bath for one hour, then remove the foil and continue to bake for 5-10 minutes, until the top is golden. This coconut pudding is great for winter.

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