If you want a simple, but impressive, dessert, tapioca is the way to go. I’ve created a chocolate tapioca parfait that looks and tastes great. It differs from other chocolate tapioca recipes in that I use both chocolate and cocoa, plus a bit of butter to give the dessert a deeper more complex flavor.
Except for the chilling time, you can make chocolate tapioca parfait in less than 30 minutes. And making it ahead is essential, so you have no extra work today when preparing your dinner.
You’ll want to use top-quality ingredients to get the most out of this recipe.
Ingredients.
I use Minute Tapioca (though other quick-cooking tapiocas will work), Lindt 70% chocolate, Amarena cherries (Trader Joe’s brand is the cheapest), and Droste or Guittard cocoa.
Begin by whisking the egg and milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Whisk in the tapioca, salt, and sugar. I use only 1/3 cup of sugar. You may find this too bitter. If so, use 1/2 cup. To avoid lumps, sift in the cocoa, whisking thoroughly. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Whisk in the cocoa.
Chop the chocolate finely and stir into the mixture.
Chop the chocolate.
Place over medium heat.
Stir in the chocolate.
Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil. This may take about 12 or more minutes.
Bring to a full boil.
Be sure to scrape the bottom edges of the pot so that no pudding sticks and burns. Pour the tapioca into a bowl and add the vanilla and the butter. Stir very gently with the whisk every few minutes until the mixture is completely cooled.
Stir tapioca until cool.
Press a piece of plastic wrap against the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and chill until thickened.
Whip the cream, sweetened to taste, until stiff peaks are formed.
Spoon a layer of tapioca into a glass. Spread a layer of cherries over the tapioca. I’m fond of cherries with chocolate, but you could certainly use other fruits, such as sweetened raspberries or strawberries.
Layer the cherries over the tapioca.
Then spread a layer of the whipped cream over the cherries. Continue with more layers of tapioca, cherries, and cream, until the glass is full. Top the chocolate tapioca parfait with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry.
