When Was the last Time You Made Rice Pudding?

 Almost everyone I know loves rice pudding.  When I owned The Hungry Moon I made it at least three times a week, but when was the last time you made it?  I know it’s been years for me, and it’s time to make some, right now! Winter is the perfect season for rice pudding; you can add dried fruit, and it’s good warm or cold. There are times when this kind of comfort food is just right, and mid-February is one of those times for me.  We have had so much snow and more is on the way, I need rice pudding!

Rice pudding can be made many ways, and there are an endless number of things you can add to personalize it.  You could make it with your kids, and have a bowl of all kinds of add-ins that they choose from. Some suggestions are, chocolate chips, M&Ms, shredded coconut, raisins or any dried fruit, frozen fruit, toasted nuts, or even Nutella. One of the things about rice pudding is that you can make it with any sort of milk, including soy, or nut milks, and using coconut milk can give you a nice tropical flavor. I like mine with cinnamon, but you could leave it out. There aren’t a lot of rules, which is why it can suit anyone. If you Google it, you will find over 18,000 results.

Warm rice pudding with melting whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream on top sounds like a perfect dessert.  The pudding I am making is a tiny bit sophisticated with dried cherries, and almond extract.  If you haven’t made it in a while, keep in mind that it will continue to thicken after you stop cooking it, so keep it a bit soupy.  A hard and fast rule when cooking rice is that you must never stir it, but to get a good creamy rice pudding, think risotto.  You want to stir it to develop the starches and help them mix with the milk to create a creamy ‘sauce’ that coats the rice.  

Tapioca pudding is not for me, and I can take or leave chocolate pudding… I do have fond memories of my mom making butterscotch pudding from a box, and I doubt if I would still like it, but rice pudding is a treat I still enjoy.  Often if I am at a good diner I will order some, and I love how it comes in those tall fluted glasses on a saucer with a doily, and topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. Having at home is even better. Even if you’ve never made it, it’s super easy and you will be a hero to your family.

Rice Pudding with Cherries

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Ingredients

• 1 cup Long Grain White Rice
• 2 cups Water
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Milk
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 cup Dried Cherries (or golden raisins, currants, apricots (chopped))
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla

Note

If using raisins or currants plump fruit in a bit of warm water

Any type of milk can be used

Directions

Step 1

Put rice and water in a pot over low heat, and let rice cook until water is absorbed, check after ten minutes, add time as needed

Step 2

Once most of the water has been absorbed, add milk and cream, and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until liquid has reduced by half, about fifteen minutes

Step 3

Mix spices with sugar (to prevent lumps) and stir mixture into pudding, continue cooking for another ten minutes, continuing to stir

Step 4

Stir in vanilla, and taste for sweetness, and to make sure rice is well cooked

Step 5

Remove from heat and stir in fruit, if pudding is too stiff, stir in a bit more milk, as it will continue to thicken as it cools Put into either individual dishes, or a serving bowl, and lay plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming