Caramelising half of the sugar, then adding a rich combination of milks creates a flavour reminiscent of dulce de leche in Caramel Flan Con Coco.By Sharon K Ghag Dessert isn’t simply magical, it’s transportive.One bite brings bliss, and a bowlful is paradise found. So there’s no need for an expensive getaway when paradise lies in desserts with tropical flavours.Instant is fine, but pudding from scratch is a whole other world. The flavour is rich, the texture dreamy. If we hadn’t gobbled up the coconut pudding so quickly, we would’ve taken it to new heights by folding in a cup or more of whipped cream and putting it in a premade pie crust.Flan from a box is an instant hit, but flan from scratch is ethereal. Caramelising half the sugar takes time, but otherwise making this dessert is easier than the boxed version: A quick blend and everything goes into the oven. And who doesn’t want an excuse in the middle of winter to turn on the oven? It’s OK to make this without coconut — to pacify the people who don’t like the texture. And, certainly, omitting the coconut lets the flavours of the milks shine through.Finally, there’s tapioca cake. The tapioca pearls are suspended in a cooked egg mixture in a “cake” that’s flavoured with lime and coconut. The taste and texture are subtle — a perfect foil for any sauce. Coconut PuddingIngredients2 cups whole milk2 cups (6 ounces) unsweetened shredded coconut½ cup canned cream of coconut ½ cup sugar2 tablespoons cornstarch1 tablespoon all-purpose flour6 large egg yolks MethodPour the milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Let steep 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into a 2-cup measuring cup, pressing on the solids to extract the liquid. Discard solids.Add enough cream of coconut to total 2 cups of liquid. Pour into saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.In a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and flour. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is thick and pale. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about ½ cup milk into the yolk mixture. Slowly add the remaining milk, whisking constantly until completely combined.Pour the mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick enough for streaks from the whisk to show, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into heat-proof bowl. Press parchment paper on surface. Refrigerate until chilled. Tapioca Coconut Cake Ingredients1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for greasing pan1-2 tablespoons turbinado sugar Pudding1 cup small-pearl tapioca2 cups whole milk¾ cup dark brown sugar2 cans (about 14 ounces each) unsweetened coconut milkPinch of saltJuice and zest of 1 lime3 large eggs3 large egg yolksPapaya sauce: 1 papaya, peeled, seeded and diced; juice and zest of 1 lime MethodCut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Grease the bottom and the sides of the pan with the butter. Place the parchment paper in the pan and grease with butter. Add the sugar and tilt the pan to coat the sides evenly.Make the pudding: Put the tapioca in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover it. Let the tapioca soak for 1 hour. Drain the tapioca in a large strainer, rinse well under tepid running water, and set aside in the strainer.In a large saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar, coconut milk and salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tapioca, stir, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until the tapioca is translucent but still slightly raw at the centre, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the pudding into a medium sheet pan, add the lime juice and zest, and stir to combine. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then transfer to a large bowl.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and yolks and whisk until just blended. Pour the eggs over the tapioca, fold to combine, and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown in spots and still jiggly in the centre, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, then refrigerate in the pan for at least 8 hours or overnight.In a medium bowl, combine the papaya and lime juice and zest. Remove the pan ring, place a serving plate on the cake, and invert. Remove the pan bottom, peel off the paper, cut the cake into wedges and serve with the papaya. After baking, the cake will seem unset, but will become firm when refrigerated. Caramel Flan Con Coco Ingredients1 cup sugar, divided use1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk3 egg yolks, plus 3 large eggs½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract1 teaspoon salt1 cup sweetened shredded coconut MethodPreheat the oven to 275 degrees. Make sure the canned milks are open as you’ll need to add them quickly when the caramel is done.To make the caramel, combine ½ cup sugar and a little water (just enough to form a wet sand) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Melt the sugar, stirring often, until there are no more lumps. (If any sugar touches the sides of the pan, be sure to wash all the crystals down into the sugar mixture with clean water and a pastry brush before the mixture comes to a full boil.)Swirl the sugar mixture constantly while holding the pan just above the flame, until the caramel reaches a deep amber colour. Turn off the heat.Carefully and quickly stir the milks in the order listed: evaporated, unsweetened coconut, sweetened condensed; the mixture will bubble and hiss. Transfer to a blender, then add the eggs, egg yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla and salt and blend until smooth. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or more, allowing the custard to rest. Meanwhile, prepare the baking dishes: Scatter the shredded coconut in the bottom of each baking dish. Set the baking dishes in a large baking pan and pour in hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the dishes.Divide the custard evenly among the baking dishes. Cover with aluminium foil and bake until set, 30 to 40 minutes for the smaller ones or 45 minutes to 1 hour for one large flan. To test for doneness, gently shake the baking pan: If the flans jiggle like a just-set jelly, take them out of the oven or they will become overdone. If the liquid is still sloshing around a bit, give them more time.Once the flans are done, remove them from the water bath and let come to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.— The Modesto Bee/MCT