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Tembleque
Puerto Rico's trembling coconut milk pudding, set in a mould and dusted with cinnamon (chill 4 hours)
Tembleque gets its name from the way it shivers (tiembla) when you set it on the table, and in Puerto Rico it is the dessert of the Christmas season, from the parrandas of December through to the Three Kings in January. It's nothing more than coconut milk, sugar and cornflour cooked into a silky custard, poured into a mould and chilled until it holds its shape. It is cool, pure white, lightly sweet and tastes completely of coconut, with a blush of cinnamon on top. Chef's tip: use full-fat tinned coconut milk; light coconut milk sets thin and tastes watery.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk2 tins, well shaken
- 2 ½ oz cornflour (cornstarch)
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp orange blossom water (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamonfor dusting
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lightly wet a 1-litre mould or six small ramekins with cold water and shake out the excess. This helps the pudding slip out later.
Step 2: In a saucepan, whisk about 200 ml of the 3 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk with 2 ½ oz cornflour (cornstarch) until completely smooth. Whisk in the rest of the coconut milk, 3 ½ oz sugar and ¼ tsp salt, and drop in 1 cinnamon stick.
2 minStep 3: Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time with a whisk or wooden spoon and scraping the bottom and corners. After about 8 minutes the mixture suddenly thickens. Keep stirring for 2 minutes more, until it bubbles slowly like lava and thickly coats the spoon. A common mistake is stopping as soon as it thickens: undercooked cornflour won't set firmly and tastes floury.
12 minStep 4: Take off the heat, fish out the cinnamon stick and stir in ½ tsp orange blossom water if using. Pour at once into the mould and tap it on the counter to level it.
Step 5: Cool for 20 minutes, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours, until firm and cold.
240 minStep 6: Run a knife around the edge, place a plate on top and turn it out with a sharp shake. Dust with 1 tsp ground cinnamon and serve cold, watching it tremble.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tembleque take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of cornflour (cornstarch)?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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