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Manjar de coco is a cooked coconut pudding set in the fridge with cornflour. The prune sauce is prepared separately and served cold. For a pudding that can be unmoulded, cook the cornflour until the mixture is properly thick; taking it off the heat while still runny will not give the same result.

About 8 portions. Approximately 30 minutes to prepare, plus cooling and at least 6 hours in the fridge. Use a 1.5-litre ring mould or 8 individual dishes.

Ingredients

• 400 ml unsweetened cooking coconut milk
• 600 ml whole milk in total: reserve 150 ml to dissolve the cornflour
• 120 g sugar for the pudding
• 80 g cornflour (corn starch)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml), optional
• 1 tsp neutral oil for greasing
• 200 g pitted prunes
• 400 ml water for the sauce
• 100 g sugar for the sauce

Method

1. Lightly oil the mould. Stir the 80 g cornflour into the reserved 150 ml cold milk until smooth. This 150 ml is part of the recipe’s 600 ml total, not additional milk.
2. Put the remaining 450 ml milk, the 400 ml coconut milk and the 120 g sugar in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot.
3. Stir the dissolved cornflour again, as it settles, then pour it into the saucepan while whisking. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring continuously. Once it begins bubbling and thickening, keep it at a gentle simmer for about 3 minutes, scraping the base and corners. The mixture should be thick and show the tracks of the whisk.
4. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla if using, and transfer to the mould. Level and cool promptly; refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Cover and leave to set for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
5. For the sauce, put the prunes, 400 ml water and 100 g sugar in another saucepan. Simmer gently for about 15–20 minutes until the fruit softens and the liquid thickens slightly. Do not reduce it until dry: the sauce thickens as it cools. Transfer to a shallow container, cool and refrigerate.
6. Gently loosen the edges of the thoroughly chilled pudding and turn out onto a plate. If necessary, briefly dip the base of the mould in warm water, keeping the pudding dry. Serve with the cold sauce.

Checking the set

The base uses 80 g cornflour with 1 litre of liquid. More time in the fridge will not fix every problem caused by too little or undercooked starch. If the chilled pudding will not hold its shape, serve it in individual dishes; do not add raw cornflour to the finished dessert.

Substitutions

To avoid lactose, use the same amount of lactose-free whole milk if suitable for your needs. This does not remove milk proteins. Plant-based drinks, potato starch and rice flour are not guaranteed one-for-one substitutes in this recipe; they need their own formulation. You can omit the vanilla without changing the structure.

Storage

Keep covered in the fridge at 0–5°C and eat within 48 hours. Cool cooked food promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, using shallow containers where needed. Mixing leftovers with new ingredients does not restart their storage time. Also follow any shorter use-by instructions on the packaging.

Storage guidance: Food Standards Agency.

Frequently asked questions

Is the milk for dissolving the cornflour extra?

No. Take 150 ml from the 600 ml whole milk and put the remaining 450 ml in the pan with the coconut milk.

Can I pour hot sauce over it?

Use cold sauce to avoid softening the pudding’s surface. Keep both refrigerated until serving.

Technique reference: Panelinha — manjar de coco.