Rice Pudding
This is such a comforting dish that no matter if you jazz it up or keep it simple, eat it warm or cold, it's going to be wonderful. I made it after making a batch of vanilla paste, and added the milk to my blender and whirred it together to clean the blender out.
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white rice (about 3/4 cup raw, cooked in water)
- 5 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 TBSP vanilla paste OR the caviar of 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg
- OPTIONAL: 1 cup raisins + 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- OPTIONAL: 1 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
Mix the rice, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla paste or the caviar and split open pod of 1 vanilla bean. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a bubble. Stir constantly for 5-10 minutes, until it gets very thick and gooey.
Whisk the cream and egg together. Temper the egg by adding a spoonful of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture and stirring it, then add some more rice. Do this about 3-5 times, before slowly mixing the egg mixture into the pot with the rest of the rice pudding.
If you want to add cinnamon or other spices, do so now. If you like raisins, add 1/2 cup water to the 1 cup raisins and microwave for 1 minute. Drain. Add 1 TBSP vanilla extract to the hot raisins so they can absorb the goodness. Fold into the rice pudding.
Other great flavor options: 1 small pinch saffron, 1 tsp cardamom, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, but there's also nothing wrong with just vanilla!