Coconut Custard with Agave Nectar

Thorny, horny cactus hardly leaps to mind as a food. We have come to think of its distilled juices, tequila (made from agave) and—even better—mezcal, as ingredients in cold, fruity, and delightful drinks, although very good aged mezcal (made from maguey cactus) is perhaps better drunk on its own like a good Scotch or brandy.

However, prepared prickly pear cactus (agave) pads readily available in cans have been one of the great benefits of the explosion of Mexican immigration to the