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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Guest Helga Ancona: Hominy and Coconut Pudding

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is a very warming, homey, classic Brazilian dessert called Canjica. Think exotic rice pudding. The spices and coconut make it so fragrant and exotic.

Ingredients
1 lb raw Hominy
2 quarts of water
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
2 sticks of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
10 whole cloves (see note below)
2 tablespoons of sugar (or more to taste)
2 cups of shredded coconut
Crushed, toasted peanuts (optional)

Procedure
Soak the hominy in water overnight. In a large pot, cook hominy with its soaking water until they are soft, about 50 minutes. Then add the condensed milk, whole milk, and coconut milk and mix it well. Add the spices (cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, cloves) and sugar, bring it to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring every once in a while. The pudding will thicken slightly. Stir in the shredded coconut and sweeten if necessary according to your taste.

Serve hot in individual bowls topped with a pinch of ground cinnamon and a tablespoon of crushed toasted peanuts as garnish.

Note: use a ball-shaped tea strainer that closes and place the cloves inside, so they won't get lost in the pudding and end up in your mouth. Another option is making a sachet for the cloves using cheesecloth.