I want to share with you a classic Puerto Rican desert recipe. This one is a treat, it is light coconut custard that shakes like Jell-O. That is why it’s called tembleque, which can be loosely translated as jiggling. Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups of coconut milk

• ½ cup of cornstarch

• ¾ cups of sugar

• ½ teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

• Ground cinnamon (optional)

In a saucepan, at medium hi, heat the coconut milk, the sugar and the salt. Dilute the cornstarch with some of the coconut milk and add to the saucepan. Stir continuously until it boils then simmer until it thickens. Pour mixture into a mold or single serving cups whatever you prefer. Let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle cinnamon over it before serving.

Here are some tips to watch out for on this dish. Cool the mixture before refrigerating or cover it with a plastic wrap so a skin does not develop, much like pudding. In addition, before serving you might have to separate the tembleque from the mold with a knife. While cooking once the mix thickens remove immediately from the heat or you will get a tembleque without the jiggle that is more bread pudding than jell-o in consistency.

Tembleque is a classic Puerto Rican desert recipe that’s both easy to make and great tasting. For all you desert lovers be on the lookout for another great recipe I will give you very soon. Until then, keep making your great cooking easy.