Coconut lilac tapioca

1/2 cup large pearl tapioca

2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup lilac blossoms

About 36 fresh and/or candied lilacs

1. Soak tapioca in coconut milk for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure you end up with individual bouncy nuggets rather than a solid lump of tapioca.

2. Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a fast simmer. Stir in tapioca and coconut milk and bring to a boil.

3. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 1 hour, or until tapioca turns soft and translucent. Let pudding cool before stirring in lilac blossoms. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week. Garnish with fresh or candied lilacs before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from "Cooking with Flowers" by Miche Bacher (Quirk, $24.95).