July 15, 2017 – National Tapioca Pudding Day

National Tapioca Pudding Day is like the HH’s dream come true–though, to be fair, I am pretty sure he has no idea it even exists.  So, tonight, when he gets home from work, I am totally going to surprise him with his favorite tapioca pudding.

Tapioca pudding has been around for ages.  I think it has kind of fallen out of fashion, unless you count the pre-made pudding cups, which I do not.  An early recipe for tapioca pudding is in Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management in  1861–so it stands to reason peeps were making it before that.  {Sidenote:  If you have never flipped through Mrs. Beeton’s book, it is totally work it.  It was the first book of its kind.  It was a reference guide for housewife’s everywhere, and sold nearly 2 million copies within 7 years.  It turned running a household into a streamlined affair.}  In 1894, a company in Boston, the Minute Tapioca Company, created…you guessed it:  minute tapioca.  A modern day convenience food that made making a tapioca pudding a heck of a lot faster.

Want to whip up some of  your own tapioca pudding to celebrate the big day?  Here’s our favorite recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a large saucepan, stir together the milk, tapioca, sugar and salt.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce to low heat and stir for 5 additional minutes.  Whisk one cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs.  Add the milk 2 tbsp. at a time into the eggs, so that it doesn’t cook the eggs.  Whisking well each time.  Stir the resulting egg/milk mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium-low heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes, or until the pudding evenly coats the back of a metal spoon.  Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Transfer mixture into serving bowls and serve warm, or refrigerate for several hours if you like it cold.

Now what are you waiting for?  Get out there and celebrate!

~Mavis