Apple Cinnamon Pecan Tapioca

Jason and I went to a Valentine's Banquet last night, and since I can't have gluten, dairy, or soy, I knew that I would need to take my own food. I really didn't want to feel deprived, so I decided to make something that I really like and pretty it up a bit! For supper, I made a delicious ginger, garlic chicken stir fry over sticky sweet rice. It was absolutely delicious! However, that is not what I want to focus on. The dessert is what I want to share!

Tapioca is extracted from the cassava or yucca plant. It is used as a thickener, but it also makes delicious pudding. I used the small pearl tapioca for this recipe. This recipe is just taken from the back of the box.

You will need:
1/2 Cup small pearl tapioca
3 Cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine tapioca, milk, and salt in a 1 1/2 quart pan. Stir until boiling. Simmer 5 minutes, uncovered, over lowest possible heat, add sugar gradually. Beat eggs, mix in some of the hot tapioca very slowly to equalize the temperatures of the two mixtures (to avoid curdling). Return all to pan. Bring to a boil, stir 3 minutes more over lowest possible heat (or longer to achieve pudding consistency). Stir constantly. Cool 15 minutes then add vanilla. Serve warm or chilled.

Okay, here are my changes and additions. Instead of the milk, I used 2 1/2 cups almond milk and 1/2 cup coconut milk. I also chopped an apple and a small handful of pecans. I sprinkled the apples and pecans with cinnamon sugar and sauteed them in a small bit of canola oil. Then I added them to the cooked pudding and chilled it. It was absolutely delicious! I took my dessert to the banquet in a glass goblet, and I garnished it with a pecan and apple slices dipped in cinnamon sugar. I did not feel deprived at all!