Sunday Rice Pudding

DEBORAH CROMBIE: A couple of weeks ago our reader Joan Emerson mentioned her rice pudding in the blog comments. It sounded so good that we asked her to share her recipe. This is just what we all need for an easy and comforting Sunday treat! Handing you over to Joan, who says:

I use leftover rice to make this pudding. 

Put about 2 cups of cooked rice in a saucepan

Add 2 tablespoons sugar [or you can use brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey] 

Add 1-1/2 to 2 cups light cream [or milk]

1 teaspoon vanilla

OPTIONAL [but yummy] add 1 cup golden raisins or craisins

Stir; bring to a simmer.

Cover; cook over low heat until the pudding has the desired consistency. [This usually takes about seven minutes.] 

You can adjust the thickness by adding more cream to thin it or cooking longer to make it thicker. 

I usually give it a stir once or twice while it is simmering, but it is not necessary to stir constantly.

Stir the pudding; serve warm.

(DEBS: And now Joan gets extra Brownie points for all her recipe testing, and for her photos!!)

I have several rice pudding recipes . . . this is the quick and easy one! Usually, I do not keep track of the time when I make this pudding; I just note how thick it is when I give it a quick stir. But, I wanted to make sure everything was just right, so I made three batches of pudding. 

First, a batch with two cups of cooked rice, two cups of cream [cold out of the refrigerator]. I added two tablespoons of golden sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla, and one cup of golden raisins. It took about thirteen minutes to cook up to the consistency I wanted [creamy, but not runny]; I gave the pudding a quick stir a couple of times while it was cooking.

Next, a batch with two cups of cooked rice, two cups of cream [at room temperature]. I added two tablespoons of golden sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla, one teaspoon of grated orange peel, and one cup of craisins. It took about eleven and a half minutes to cook up to the consistency I wanted [creamy, a bit runny]; again, I gave the pudding a quick stir a couple of times while it was cooking. 

[Because I was curious, I also made a half batch of this pudding with one cup of rice and one cup of cream . . . it took about eight and a half minutes to cook.] 

For the third batch, I used two cups of cooked rice, two cups of cream [cold out of the refrigerator]. I added two tablespoons of golden sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla, and one and one-half cups of candied fruit [the kind of fruit mix used to make fruit cake]. It took about thirteen minutes to cook up to the consistency I wanted [creamy, a bit runny]; again, I gave the pudding a quick stir a couple of times while it was cooking.

This is a very adaptable recipe . . . 

Try cinnamon and nutmeg for a traditional flavor or top the pudding with fresh fruit such as blueberries. 

Add a bit more/less rice or a bit more/less milk to make the recipe truly your own. 

Use regular sugar, golden sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey to sweeten [more or less, to your taste]. 

Have fun experimenting and enjoy!

DEBS: Thank you, Joan!! These all sound so good! I intend to curl up with a bowl of rice pudding and watch the Oscars. I have a question, though--we always have cooked brown rice in the fridge, usually sticky jasmine rice. I wonder if it's starchy enough to make this pudding?

Only one way to find out!

READERS, are you watching the Oscars tonight? Any faves? And what's on the menu?