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02/16/2022 11:01 PMI am going to a dinner party in Madison for about a dozen people at the home of some friends who just moved into a new house a few weeks ago.
Ah, moving.
The last time I moved, it took me months to unpack boxes. There is no way I would have been ready to host a big dinner party in less than a month. And many of the guests will be from out of town, coming in from Florida and Pennsylvania, and they will be staying a few extra days in the new house. I don’t think I would have been able to find the boxes of sheets and towels.
In any case, as one of the locals who will be attending, I will bring food. I will make a dessert. The age range of those attending dinner is from 20 to 80, and this dessert is a favorite for people of all ages. It will easily feed 12 people, and still look pretty great in a day or two, if there are leftovers.
It is, in a way, a flan, and the chewy coconut feels like snowdrops on one’s tongue. I will also make some little cookies, maybe shortbread, for those who don’t much care for flan.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Caramelized Coconut Budino
Adapted from More Cooking in the Wine Country
by Joanne Weir (Simon and Schuster, New York, 2001)
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups very finely grated sweetened coconut
2 cups sugar, divided
8 eggs
3 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Have ready an 8-inch round cake pan and a larger one in which to place the 8-inch cake pan.
Place coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until light golden, tossing occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly. Place in food processor and pulse until finely ground. Reserve. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.
In a large, heavy stainless-steel frying pan, melt 1 cup of the sugar over medium heat. Do not stir with a spoon; instead, swirl the pan to melt the sugar uniformly. Cook until sugar starts to turn golden brown. Immediate remove the pan from the heat and pour mixture into the 8-inch round cake pan, turning the pan so the caramel coats the bottom and sides. Set it aside.
Whisk eggs together in a bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar, the milk, coconut, and flour and stir together until well mixed.
Pour coconut mixture into the caramel-lined, pan, and place in a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake in the oven until set and a skewer goes into the center and comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes.
Remove cake pan from the larger pan and let it sit for 10 minutes, then invert the coconut budino onto a serving plate and serve.