Baked ʻUlu Coconut Pudding (Hawaiian Ripe Breadfruit Custard)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch square baking dish or 9-inch round baking dish
• •Potato masher or sturdy fork
• •Whisk and wide mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Ripen the ʻulu

   Use ʻulu so ripe the skin has dark patches and the fruit gives under your thumb, with flesh that smells sweet and a little honeyed. If it is firm and green, cook it as a starch for another meal. This pudding wants the soft one, the fruit everybody thinks went too far.

   To cook ripe ʻulu, roast it whole at 375F until a knife slides in easily, 45 to 70 minutes depending on size. Cool it, pull out the core and seeds if present, then scoop the yellow flesh.
2. 2

   Heat the oven

   Set the oven to 350F. Butter or oil an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9-inch round dish. If you have banana leaf, lay a softened piece in the bottom for fragrance, then grease it lightly.

3. 3

   Mash it smooth

   Mash the cooked ripe ʻulu until it is mostly smooth, with a few small soft bits left if you like texture. It should look thick, golden, and sticky, not dry or crumbly. If it fights you, it needed more cooking. No blame the ʻulu.

4. 4

   Mix the custard

   Whisk the coconut milk, 1/2 cup coconut cream, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter or coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until the sugar loosens. Fold in the mashed ʻulu and work it together until the mixture is thick and pourable, like a heavy batter.

5. 5

   Fill and finish

   Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and smooth the top. Spoon the remaining 2 tablespoons coconut cream over the surface and swirl it lightly so it bakes into pale glossy streaks. Scatter shredded coconut over the top if you are using it.

6. 6

   Bake until set

   Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the edges are deep golden, the center barely trembles when you nudge the dish, and a knife near the center comes out mostly clean. The top should have a soft sheen, not a dry crust.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the pudding rest at least 25 minutes before cutting, so the ʻulu and coconut settle into each other. Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled the next day, in generous squares with a small spoon of coconut cream if you like. This is comfort food. No need make it precious.

Chef Tips

• •The ripeness is the whole dish. A green ʻulu will taste flat here, but a very ripe one brings its own sugar and perfume. If the fruit is only lightly ripe, add another tablespoon or two of brown sugar.
• •Fresh coconut milk is beautiful if you can press it, but Hawaiʻi home kitchens use good canned coconut milk too. Keeper, not gatekeeper. Choose one with coconut and water, not a long list of extras.
• •For a dairy-free table, use coconut oil instead of butter. For a less sweet pudding, cut the sugar to 1/3 cup and let the ripe ʻulu speak.
• •If the pudding cracks, you baked it a little hard or a little long. Still good. Chill it, cut it clean, and feed somebody.

Advance Preparation

• •Roast the ripe ʻulu up to 2 days ahead, scoop the flesh, and refrigerate it covered until you are ready to bake.
• •The finished pudding keeps 3 days in the fridge. Chill it covered, then serve cold or warm gently in a low oven until the coconut sheen comes back.
• •Bake it the day before a celebration if you want clean slices. The flavor settles deeper overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)