All of my family loves this pudding! It is one of my Grandma A’s recipes that she has made for decades. I remember being so excited when she would make this for us. It did not last long for sure! When I was a teenager I decided that I wanted to know the secret to making this pudding so Grandma and I scheduled a day to make it together. It takes a little while to prepare but it is definitely worth it. It is so creamy with just a little chewiness from the little tapioca pearls. There is some sweetness too but just enough to make it taste luxurious, not overpowering.

The whipped egg whites are my favorite part of the pudding. They add a light, fluffy component that makes the whole pudding irresistible.

It seems like people either love tapioca pudding or they hate it. I don’t know if it is the texture or what that makes tapioca adored by some and despised by others but I hope you give this a try if you like tapioca! It really is a treat!

Instructions:

• ¾ cup seed pearl tapioca or tapioca size of choice
• 4 cups milk (I use whole milk)
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook the tapioca and milk in a covered double boiler over simmering water until the tapioca is tender. This takes about an hour for seed pearl tapioca (⅛ inch in diameter) so larger tapioca will take longer and smaller will take less time. Make sure to stir it every five minutes or so otherwise the tapioca will stick together. When the tapioca is tender separate the eggs putting the whites in a large mixing bowl and the yolks in a small bowl. Lightly whisk the yolks with the water and then mix in the sugar with a fork. Add and stir in enough of the hot tapioca mixture to the yolk bowl so the yolk mixture becomes almost as hot as the tapioca mixture and then pour the heated, sweetened yolks in with the rest of the tapioca. Cook this for five minutes and then stir well. Cook for another five minutes and then remove from the heat. Whip the egg whites until peaks form and then mix in the vanilla. Spoon the hot tapioca mixture over the egg whites. Stir very well, folding the egg whites throughout the hot tapioca. Serve warm or chilled.