How is it practically August already?! It’s barely felt like summer in our part of the woods and it seems like Summer has bypassed us. Whenever I visit the farmers market the tomatos, squashes, berries, and stone fruits are telling me that it’s definitely summer somewhere! I’ve been stocking up on plums and all the varieties of pluots (plum and apricot hybrids) and eating them like candy. They are so delicious! Reuben also just discovered that he’s no longer allergic to peaches, so we will probably start buying all of those too! Maybe I’ll turn on the oven to make a peach pie just to warm the house up a little bit. Actually never mind, I was just reminded of my last soggy bottom pie experience and I still never want to make a pie again.

Life is a little hectic right now, maybe it’s just this week… did I tell you I’m catering a dinner for my previous office today?! It will be a little weird going back in there, but I’m mostly just excited to see some old friends again! I’m currently taking a break from the madness that is my kitchen to blog real quick. The milk bread is baking in the oven and I wish I could get a candle that smells like it does right now. To balance the craziness of this week, I wanted to share with you an insanely simple and elegant dessert. If you have 30 minutes, then you’re all set to make this Coconut Sago with Pluots! This is inspired by one of my favorite desserts whenever I would go to Hong Kong - Mango Sago! My family took me to a mango dessert cafe once and I almost ordered a gallon of the mango sago because it was so good!

What is Sago?

Sago is super similar to Tapioca. Tapioca is made from the cassava plant and sago is actually made from the sago palm. Technically different, but in terms of flavor and texture they are quite similar. The starches found in the pith of the sago palm are processed into tiny pearls, which when boiled have a chewy and bouncy texture. Just imagine tiny and clear boba! Sago is used in a lot of different asian desserts. We would have a sweet taro or red bean soup with sago pearls for dessert after our big family dinners. I know dessert soup sounds weird… but don’t knock it until you try it!

When I was younger I went through a tapioca pudding stage. I begged my mom to buy me those Swiss Miss tapioca pudding cups! I loved them so much. I guess I had an affinity towards boba before I even had my first bubble tea! This recipe is like an grown up and dramatically less sweet version of tapioca pudding. Once you read the recipe you’ll be shocked by how easy it is too. Barely any cooking is required! All you do is boil the sago until it’s soft and translucent, combine it with some coconut milk, sweetened it up a little with condensed milk, and top with your favorite stone fruit! Yes. That’s it.

Mango sago is made in a very similar way. The only difference is that you would puree some mango into the coconut milk. I thought about doing that with the pluots, but I really loved the contrast of the white coconut sago and the beautiful colors of the pluots. If you don’t have any pluots at your local market, feel free to use whatever fruit you have on hand. Mangoes, berries, and any other stone fruit would be a lovely addition! I like to serve this at room temperature or just barely chilled so the coconut milk is still a little loose. If you want to make these in advanced or serve it cold, the coconut milk will firm up and be much more pudding like!

I hope to see these little beauties at your next dinner party! I also won’t blame you if you just want to eat this everyday as an afternoon snack!

Coconut Sago with Pluots

serves 4-6

Materials:

3/4 cup dried sago (or small tapioca)
1 13.5oz full fat canned coconut milk
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3-4 pluots - sliced

Steps:

1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add in sago and boil until the sago pearls are clear. About 10 minutes, but cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse the sago under cold water.

2. In a large bowl, combine cooked sago, coconut milk, and condensed milk. Place bowl in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

3. Portion the coconut sago into small bowls. Top with sliced pluots and enjoy!