rich and creamy risotto rice pudding :)

i use to only associate rice pudding with old people who like weak tea, or being on the menu at hospitals when they ran out of lime jello... but in my growing up i've come to realize that though i am certainly right that rice pudding is a gem amongst the senior community, it is also a delicious dish... especially when it's done right! and this recipe is all kinds of right... it may take a bit of time, but the outcome is simply amazing...

the rice pudding comes out creamy, tender, and oh so rich with highlights of vanilla and cinnamon... now, this dish is great all on it's own... but being a glutton, i decided to top mine with some more goodness... salt caramel :)

but be warned... your mind might go blank for a few moments while you indulge in sheer goodness on a spoon...

rich and creamy risotto style rice pudding
( taken from the book "sticky, chewy, messy, gooey" by jill o'connor)
ingredients:
1/2 cup arborio (risotto) rice
8 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
* freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

directions:
1. combine the rice, milk, sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to combine
2. bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly... then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes as the mixture starts to thicken, this will take about 30 minutes
3. continue cooking until the rice is tender but not too mushy, about 15 minutes longer... the milk will be thick and the rice tender, but the mixture will still be very soupy, which is what you want (it will thicken as it cools)
4. in a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cream together and stir into the rice pudding
5. continue cooking the pudding over medium-low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through and pudding is creamy and glossy, but still fairly soupy
6. remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla... grate some nutmeg, if you like, into the pudding... and remove the vanilla bean pod
7. pour the pudding into a serving bowl or individual serving dishes and press plastic wrap over the surface to prevent a skin from forming (yuck) and refrigerate until cold, about 2 to 3 hours

i served mine with a few thick gobs of salt caramel (if you haven't noticed i am a sucker for salt caramel), a big ol' dollop of sweetened vanilla whipped cream and a few shakes of some saigon cinnamon... all in all... it's heaven :)


happy baking everyone!