Haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding)

This pudding dish is a staple at Hawaiian luaus, and yes, of course we had to go to one when we were in Hawaii!  It was a great time, but honestly, the only dish I ended up interested in learning to make was the coconut pudding.  Everything was delicious, but I think it might be awhile before I build a rock pit in my side yard and roast a whole pig.  It could happen though...

 The pudding, known as haupia, is the white square on my plate (yup, I ate a LOT that night...don't judge me!).  When I started looking at recipes back home, it seemed to me that most were going to turn out a lot softer.  I think that maybe they added gelatin for ease in serving, but I like my pudding softer.  I finally settled on a very simple recipe that you can find on the Hawaii Travel site at About.com.  The taste seems identical to me, but the texture is more to my liking.

This should be the result of any good luau!