My dad’s absolute favorite dessert is tapioca. I remember once as a kid, my grandma made it for him and put it in a flower-pot. She covered the top with crushed Oreos and added gummy worms too. Why do I remember that so vividly? Probably because of my father’s delight when he realized there was creamy delicious pudding underneath the chocolate cookies. He was like a kid on Christmas morning. It was awesome. I remembered this morning that my husband loves tapioca too, and (gasp!) we’ve been married almost 10 years and I don’t think I’ve ever made it for him. So, I picked up a box of the pearly rice and made this recipe for him. This is not the same as is found on the side of the red box. Tapioca requires constant stirring – so for those of you with kiddos…wait until they are sleeping to attempt making this. Guaranteed if they are awake they’ll require your assistance or referee skills right when it starts boiling, or when you’re mixing the hot liquid with the eggs. That’s just how kids work. Come on, you know what I’m talkin’ about.
Print Recipe for Classic Tapioca
Classic Tapioca
3 cups whole milk (if you substitute any other fat% – it won’t be as good…just sayin’)
1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Stir together the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 3 minutes longer.
- Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Stir the egg mixture back into the tapioca until well mixed. Bring the pudding to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer until the pudding becomes thick enough to evenly coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The pudding may be served hot or poured into serving dishes and refrigerated several hours until cold.
Bakerlady 
Sago pudding is my absolute best pudding memory from childhood and when we are visiting with my folks, I ask my mom to make it for us – it’s never the same when I make it.
🙂 Mandy