Pudding for One – the Solution to the Problem of Leftover Coconut Milk
Every time I use coconut milk, I end up with half a can more than I need. Someday in the future I will need half a can of coconut milk, but since life is cruel, there will always be two days after leftovers go bad in the fridge. And the cycle repeats. To finally put an end to this madness, I decided to use the leftover coconut milk by making small batches of coconut pudding with seasonal fruit compote.
Most pudding recipes call for about 4-6 servings. It’s great to have so many pudding lovers around you, but sometimes you need a personal pudding or maybe just a pudding for two. By design – as I am keen to use up my extra funds – this recipe only calls for about 3/4 cup of coconut milk. Desserts in small batches are what you need if you are tired of saving leftovers every day. You can sprinkle it with just about any fresh seasonal fruit, or do what I did and turn the fresh fruit into a delicious compote (which also allows you to use anything that squeaks after its bloom).
To make this dessert, I prepared the pudding in a fairly traditional way, but replaced the remaining coconut milk with regular whole milk. Sugar, eggs and corn starch are mixed together before the hot milk is slowly added to prevent lumps from forming. Feel free to add boiling milk to the egg-sugar mixture – you’re injecting hot coconut magma (nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit) into the eggs, which coagulate at around 145°F, so you’ll need to do it slowly. This process is called tempering.
Once you have tempered the mixture and put it back on the stove, whisk constantly until it thickens and turns into a lovely pudding. Cover it and refrigerate it, or leave it at room temperature if you are going to eat it soon and like warm pudding. While the pudding is cooling, make a compote of seasonal berries or stone fruit. I used cherries because mine were overripe and starting to feel like mini water balloons.
The following recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of pudding—enough for two desserts or one gourmet treat. Milk is naturally rich in coconut fat, which gives it a luxurious texture similar to pastry cream. It’s soothing and satisfying, and if you like coconut, you’ll be enchanted by its subtle yet unmistakable coconut flavor. This is the perfect pudding that is also dairy-free.
Summer Cherry Coconut Pudding
Pudding Ingredients:
- ½ can of coconut milk (about 6.5 oz)
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Ingredients of cherry compote:
- 12 cherries (pitted)
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ tablespoon of sugar
- Lemon squeeze (optional)
- Cornstarch suspension (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water)
Pour coconut milk into a small saucepan. (If the fat separates from the water, let the milk come to room temperature and whisk it with a whisk to make the milk more homogeneous.) Do not heat the milk yet.
In a small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Take two tablespoons of room temperature coconut milk from the saucepan and put it in a small bowl with the cornstarch mixture. Add the egg yolks to the bowl and beat until everything is completely combined and the corn starch is completely dissolved. (You will soon mix the milk into this egg mixture.)
Heat the coconut milk over medium heat until small bubbles start to form around the edges and it begins to steam. You don’t want it to boil, so keep an eye on it – it’s a small amount of milk and only takes a minute or so to heat up to temp. Turn off the heat and slowly pour a small amount of hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking rapidly as you do so. Continue adding some more hot milk, whisking until about ¾ of the coconut milk has been added to the egg yolk mixture. I can’t stress enough the importance of beating enough here is what keeps the eggs from getting cooked into scrambled eggs.
Place the saucepan with the remaining milk back on the stove and whisk in the egg mixture. Now everything is in the pot. Turn the heat to medium and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency, about five minutes on the heat. Pour into a bowl and cover to cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
To make cherry compote, add pitted cherries, sugar and water to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the berries are slightly softened and release their juices. While the cherries are hot and the juice is simmering, add the cornstarch gruel while stirring. Continue stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. The juice should be loose but not runny and thick enough to cover a spoon. Mix with lemon juice to brighten it up.
If you’re going to eat the cherry and coconut pudding later, keep everything covered and chilled in the refrigerator. If you eat the dessert warm, do it right away, filling the pudding with cherry compote. Stir lightly for a dramatic cherry swirl.