Fluffy Tapioca 1 egg, separated 6Tbsp. sugar, divided 3Tbsp. MINUTE Tapioca 2cups 2% reduced fat milk 1tsp. vanilla Make It BEAT egg white in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 3 Tbsp. sugar, beating until soft peaks form. MIX tapioca, remaining sugar, milk and egg yolk in medium saucepan. Let stand 5 minutes. COOK on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full boil. Remove from heat. Quickly stir egg white mixture into hot tapioca in saucepan until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Cool 20 minutes; stir. Serve warm or chilled. For creamier pudding, place plastic wrap on surface of pudding while cooling. Stir before serving. Store leftover pudding in refrigerator.

First question, does it have eggs? A lot of commercial ice cream does not. Next question, does it have high butterfat? Ben & Jerry's, for instance, is particularly fatty. Further question: Is it very sweet? Rice syrup, especially, and corn syrup often taste sweeter than their sugar content. Lastly, are there any gums or other stabilizers? Preservatives? Cake--so long as you don't care about the particular texture or flavor--isn't as tricky as some people will say. I don't know how eggs frozen in custard would affect the cake. Do the cake mix recipes call for adding eggs? Or do they use cake mixes with the eggs already in them? If they call for eggs or eggs in the mix, I'd add a couple of eggs. As for the rest, I'd use about the same amount of melted ice cream as you'd put milk/water in a cake, and wait to mix it all up before adding sugar. Sugar acts as a liquid in cake, so don't be too stingy with the ice cream, or plan to add some sugar (though it could get very sweet). In the end, use enough flour to make it cake batter consistency. I learned when I was baking cakes a couple times per week, mostly adapted or improvised, that if it looks like cake batter and tastes like cake batter, and you remembered to put some baking powder in, it'll be a cake. If you forget the baking powder, it'll be a dense, chewy bar cookie which can be topped with jam and streusel and people will demand the recipe.

Okay, guess what I'm having for breakfast this very minute! Right out of the bowl and still warm. I think you only get rubbery at the bottom if you don't adequately incorporate the beaten whites. They will hold up to some stirring. I remember from long ago sometimes you can get some separation after it sits awhile (i.e., a little clear liquid at the bottom of the bowl). I've had, and enjoyed, tapioca made with whole milk and fat-free. That may have something to do with the potential for separation. I use 2% for everything, unless a recipe insists on whole milk. To avoid separation and/or rubbery bottom, I would plate/bowl from the original bowl, rather than filling each dish from the outset. You may prefer a very homogenous blend, but I kinda like a bit of egg white for texture. Also, depending on what you include with the tapioca, I think you can safely cut back by 25-50% the amount of sugar Minute calls for. Sugar does help egg whites inflate though.

Tillamook is a new offering in my local chain grocers. There have been promotions at half price -- and BOGO's. I think Ben & Jerry's is higher quality at about $4 a pint. Tillamook is $7 for 1.5 gallons. Ice cream gurus say to dish up ice cream and let it sit a few minutes so that your tongue can appreciate the flavors.. Try that with Tillamook, and you'll get a watery 'soup'. The B & J will turn to cream. Tillamook has done several things here. It is easy to scoop, and you can taste the flavors right away. Instant gratification! The bigger cartons make it look like a bargain. (It is better than the even more heavily aerated, huge carton store brands that weigh almost nothing.)