Lemon Tapioca Pudding Parfait

You know how sometimes when it’s really cold outside and you think it’s not that bad so you don’t wear gloves and then your fingers start burning and turning red and hurt like the dickens and you wished you weren’t such an idiot?  Lemon Tapioca Parfait isn’t like that.  Lemon Tapioca Parfait is like when you’re really really tired and you fall into a fluffy feather bed with three pillows and a silky down comforter pulled up to your chin and you sink into warm, cozy contentment.  That’s what lemon tapioca parfait is like.

Creamy, dreamy tapioca.  I know we are just coming off the holidays and all, and it might be unseemly to be talking about dessert, but I mean, who doesn’t love tapioca?  OK, there may be a few of you out there, but I grew up on the stuff and absolutely love the vanilla-scented loveliness of it.  And then I decided that it might just be very good friends with lemon and was I ever right!  Turns out, they’re actually best buddies.

And this couldn’t be simpler to put together...make up some tapioca pudding and some lemon curd, then layer them in a parfait glass, top with a little crème fraiche and lemon zest, and you will be richly rewarded for this little effort.  Oh my.  Soooooo very tasty.

I used the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for the lemon curd this time, in which she says to peel the zest off the lemon, chop it and add to a food processor with the sugar.  No matter how long I processed it, the little pieces of lemon peel never fully broke down and I wasn’t crazy about biting into them, so I suggest grating the zest with a microplane rather than chopping it.

Depending on your love of lemon curd (mine is a very big love), you can choose how much to add between your layers of tapioca.  In the past I have mixed the lemon curd with some crème fraiche for an even creamier parfait.  Very nice.

So into 2010 we go with lemon tapioca parfait, spoon in hand, smile on face.

Lemon Tapioca Parfait
Printable Recipe

For the Tapioca:
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp minute tapioca
1 3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, well beaten
2 tsp vanilla

Mix the sugar, tapioca, milk and egg in a medium saucepan; let stand 5 minutes.  Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred).  The pudding will thicken as it cools.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Let cool slightly.

For the Lemon Curd:
(Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa)

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a microplane grater, remove the zest of 3 lemons and place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

For the Parfait:
Place some of the tapioca pudding in the bottom of a parfait glass.  Top with just a little of the lemon curd, smoothing to cover the top of the pudding.  Top with more of the tapioca and then another layer of the curd.

To serve, top with a dollop of creme fraiche and a dusting of lemon zest. 

Comments

[marie]

Just a gorgeous photo, who could resist this. Great idea to layer both.

[Lisa]

Smiling. Happiness.

[Patrice Berry]

Thank you, Marie. So nice to hear from you. I love anything lemon and this is one of my favorite vehicles for a lemon fix.

[Patrice Berry]

Happiness, indeed, Lisa.