BETTY SHIMABUKURO / BETTY@STARBULLETIN.COM Chunks of purple sweet potato and taro add texture to this soft, sweet bread pudding.

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"A few months ago, someone gave me a taste of bread pudding that included Okinawan sweet potatoes and a haupia sauce as a topping," Nancy Strach wrote. "It was the best I have ever tasted!"

The bread pudding is a signature dessert of the Banker's Club at First Hawaiian Bank, where it is credited to executive chef Mel Arellano and sous chef Burt Tasaka.

It includes chunks of taro and purple sweet potato, but also taro and potato rolls, all in a custard made with coconut milk.

Before you start, some equipment notes: At the Banker's Club, the bread pudding is baked 25 portions at a time in a large, 4-inch-deep commercial baking pan not typically found in home kitchens. The version that follows is a half-recipe, made in two loaf pans, which still gives you nice, tall slices.

The bread pudding is baked in a water bath, which means each pan must be placed in a larger pan filled with hot water. So check your stock of pans before beginning.

This recipe could be baked in other size pans, for example one of those 10-by-12-inch disposable foil pans. The pan you choose will depend on what larger pan you have to hold the water bath. A typical 9-by-13-inch cake pan, for example, could be hard to place in a water bath and still fit into your oven.

Finally, some technical notes, for those who've never tried a water bath: Use extreme care removing the pans from the oven; the hot water will scald. Also, most electric ovens vent through the back right burner on the stovetop. Be sure this burner is uncovered, or you'll end up with a build-up of steam and hot water around the burner.

Okinawan Sweet Potato and Taro Bread Pudding

1/4 pound taro
1/4 pound Okinawan sweet potato
1/2 pound taro rolls
1/2 pound potato rolls
6 ounces (2 blocks) butter, melted
Pinch salt
>> Custard:
1 cup coconut milk
4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
9 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel taro and sweet potato. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes and steam until soft. Cut or tear bread into 1/2-inch cubes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 5-by-9-inch loaf pans.

Combine taro, sweet potato and bread in a large bowl. Toss with butter and salt. Divide mixture between the two loaf pans.

To make custard: Combine coconut milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan and heat to just below boiling.

Whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk small amounts of milk mixture into egg mixture, so eggs do not scramble. Continue until all the milk is incorporated into the eggs.

Strain custard, then add slowly to bread mixture in loaf pans. Press bread down to help it absorb custard. If it seems you have too much custard, let pans sit a few seconds to allow bread to soak up more liquid. Fill pans to within a 1/2 inch of rim.

Place each loaf pan into a larger baking pan and fill baking pans with hot tap water to a point half-way up the sides of the loaf pans. Place pans in oven and bake 45 to 55 minutes, until a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Remove loaf pans from water bath and cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla bean haupia sauce (below). Serves 12.

Vanilla Bean Haupia Sauce

3 cups coconut milk (Mendonca's frozen brand preferred)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup cream
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
Pinch salt
3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch

Combine coconut milk, water, cream, sugar and salt in a pot. Scrape vanilla beans from pod into pot; add pod to pot as well.

Bring mixture to boil and gradually stir in cornstarch to thicken sauce. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes to cook out starch. Remove vanilla pods; strain.

Nutritional information unavailable.