Large Pearl Tapioca Pudding

Directions

1. This is another unique pudding and a very old recipe. Cooking the large pearl tapioca slowly for hrs in a brown-sugar sauce gives this dessert an intense flavor. The additon of English walnuts provides a satisfying crunch. Frequently this pudding was cooked in the oven or possibly in a double boiler, but get ideal results, requiring no watching, with a crockpot.
2. Place the tapioca and water in a crockpot. Soak overnight.
3. Don't drain tapioca. Add in brown sugar and salt and cook for 12 hrs on low.
4. Stir once in a while. The tapioca becomes clear and the texture is gelatinous at the end of the cooking period. Let cold. Add in vanilla, a bit more salt if needed, and the walnuts. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and spread top liberally with Whipped Cream Topping.
5. NOTE: Large pearl tapioca requires long, slow cooking to become transparent. And each pearl has a tiny bit of starch in the middle of it which sometimes never completely cooks up that, though edible, looks unpleasant. The crockpot is absolutely perfect for cooking these big pearls-and which little starchy bead completely disappears.