Coconut Milk Pudding with Fresh Fruits

When entertaining a large party, it’s always a good idea to serve a dessert buffet, with small portions of a few items, that the guests can help themselves to, according to their taste. On such a buffet, dairy-free, gluten-free, low sugar or vegan options are likely to please not only those who have dietary concerns, but rather, all the guests, especially after a fairly heavy dinner.

One of my go-to recipes of such options is my honey-ginger coconut panna cotta (find the recipe HERE), but this time, I was aiming at an even quicker dessert, that doesn’t need too much time to set. Instead of gelatin, I’ve used water chestnut powder, which is basically a fine starch, that can thicken liquids quickly. (It is quite similar to cornstarch and arrowroot powder, so if you can’t find it, they can be used instead.) The soft textured pudding blends beautifully with the colorful fresh fruits layer. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
* For larger portions, simply double or triple the amounts given here.

Makes: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups full fat unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs maple syrup
Dash salt
¼ tsp lemon extract
2 Tbs water chestnut powdered (see introduction), mixed with 2 Tbs water
Fruits for topping (I used ripe passion fruit pulp, diced strawberries mixed with maple syrup, and orange segments – but any fruit combination will work here).

1. In a small pot, mix the coconut milk, sugar, maple syrup, salt and lemon extract. Bring to an almost boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in the water chestnut powder slurry and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the pudding thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

2. Pour into 4 ramekins, leaving enough room for the fruit topping. Place, uncovered, in the fridge for about 30 minutes, to cool and set.

3. When ready to serve, add the fruits on top.