Nostalgic Tapioca Pudding

My family usually requires large recipes, so this recipe makes a rather large batch of pudding.  It should serve 8-12 people.  It can easily be cut in half to serve 4-6.  This recipe is gluten free.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: (printable recipe PDF)

• 6 cups organic milk
• 2/3 cup tapioca pearls (Bob’s Red Mill)
• 4 organic egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 organic sugar
• 2 medium vanilla beans (3 small vanilla beans or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)

Instructions:

• Soak tapioca pearls in 1.5 cups of milk for 60 minutes in a medium saucepan
• In meantime, beat egg yolks
• After 60 minutes, stir together egg yolks, sea salt, sugar and add to milk and tapioca pearl mixture.
• Slice vanilla beans down the middle and scrape the tiny seeds into the pudding..  (If using extract, do not add until after cooking the pudding)
• Slowly bring to a boil by increasing heat from low to medium over 15 minutes.  The reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes while constantly  stirring. Tapioca pearls will turn translucent and pudding will drastically thicken to a gravy like consistency.  It will thicken more upon cooling down some.
• Serve warm or cool.

Note: Tapioca pudding scorches very easily.  I read a book and stir until it is done.  It could take shorter or longer then 20 minutes depending on heat source.