Simply put: I love coconut–everything from the coconut cakes and pies my southern grandparents brought me up with to the toasted coconut ice cream and Filipino Biko my friend Erika introduced me to. I love the savory almost as much as the sweet. My favorite appetizer is Mom’s famous coconut shrimp without which Christmas would not be complete. I love the coconut soups and curries I once only ordered at restaurants and then learned to make. And then there are the coconut cocktails and liqueurs we enjoy when we vacation at the beach.

I thought I had made it all until I realized we didn’t have a recipe for coconut pudding here on ThreeManyCooks! So Mom and I modified her tried and tested pudding recipe to make it not just single coconut, but double coconut. It says, “Serves 8″ but if you’re  like me, it actually makes two servings–one for all the licks and spoonfuls along the way (to make sure it’s good) and then another for dessert.

Speaking of double, you might want to double the recipe.

Double Coconut Pudding

Serves 8

Toast coconut in a 9-inch baking pan in a 300-degree oven, stirring once or twice, until fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes.

2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
3 large egg yolks
1 can (13.5 ounces) regular coconut milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted (see note above)

Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Just before adding milks, whisk in egg yolks, and then turn heat to medium and whisk in milks. Continue to cook, whisking occasionally at first and then constantly as pudding starts to thicken, until mixture comes to a full simmer. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the coconut.

Pour into an airtight container or 8 custard cups with a sheet of plastic over the surface to keep a skin from forming (Can be refrigerated up to 5 days).