Author Notes
Haupia is Hawaiian coconut pudding, usually served as a dessert option at a l?‘au, or feast, commemorating everything from a Baby’s First birthday to graduations and weddings. Traditional haupia is quite firm, set in shallow pans and then cut into squares. I wanted to create a version that captured the same subtly sweet coconut flavor paired with dark chocolate in a softer, more familiar pudding form. —gingerroot
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Ingredients
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1
can coconut milk – 13.5 ounces (I used and recommend Chaokao brand)
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1/4 cup
half-and-half
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1 1/2 ounces
good quality dark chocolate, between 65-70% cocoa (I used Theo 70% dark chocolate), chopped into uniform pieces
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1
vanilla bean
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2 tablespoons
cornstarch
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3 tablespoons
plus 2 teaspoon(s) golden brown sugar
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5 tablespoons
half-and-half
Directions
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Over low heat, combine coconut milk and half-and-half in a saucepan, making sure to scrape out coconut cream left in the can with a butter knife. Using a sharp knife, split vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into saucepan. Add bean to pan as well. Allow mixture to steam, occasionally stirring.
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Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, brown sugar and remaining 5 T half-and-half in a small bowl. Use a fork to combine mixture, dissolving sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
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Place chocolate pieces in a heatproof container, like a pyrex measuring cup. Melt chocolate in microwave by heating 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each time. Be careful not to overheat your chocolate. (It took about 50 seconds for my chocolate to melt).
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Once coconut milk mixture is steaming, carefully remove vanilla bean and discard or save for another use. Whisk in cornstarch mixture, scraping bowl with a spatula to get it all. Continue to whisk coconut-cornstarch mixture, slowly and consistently until pudding begins to thicken. This should happen within a few minutes. Scrape melted chocolate into mixture and continue to whisk, until pudding is smooth and thick.
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Ladle warm pudding into cups or small bowls. Use a chopstick to make concentric circles in the surface of the pudding to evenly settle the mixture. Serve warm or chilled. If serving chilled, cover cups with plastic wrap and allow pudding to chill at least two hours before serving. Enjoy!
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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