Joy the Baker » rice pudding

Risotto Rice Pudding with brown sugar and vanilla

joythebaker — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:57:39 +0000

hi.

hello. hey.

so. i made this rice pudding, then i stood in my kitchen and ate it from the pot with a tiny spoon. a really tiny spoon.

i just stood there and ate half the batch.

i discovered then, that this recipe should just be called The Milk and Stir.

or What To Make When You’re Having a Weird Day and You Need to Eat Something Warm, and Sweet, and Starchy… and You Wish You Could Just Sit Around All Day, But You Can’t…. So You Just Stand in Your Kitchen and Eat This Pudding Like It’s Nobody’s Business… Cause It’s Totally Nobody’s Business.

Ok. The Milk and Stir is catchier.

Have you ever made rice pudding with risotto rice?

It’s luxurious. Risotto (Arborio) rice is different from long grain, white rice. It’s more starchy and cooks into a creamy texture. The cooking method is different too! Instead of simmering rice in water, small amounts of liquid are added too cooking rice. The rice slowly absorbs the liquid as you stand over the stove and stir. Stir Stir Stir… for about fifteen minutes. It’s actually the perfect amount of time to zone out and solve the problems that have caused you to stress out and make rice pudding in the first place… but maybe that’s just me.

I like to cook this rice pudding up into a looser texture by adding more milk. The rice is so starchy that it really thickens, especially when cold.

Oh! This dessert also has brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla bean. It’s sweet, starchy, and the rice has just the slightest toothsome bite.

You best believe I’ve made rice pudding before. If you don’t have Arborio rice, how about Jasmine Rice Pudding or Brown Rice Pudding? I’ve got you covered.

Oh. I almost forgot. I love you. I mean that.

Risotto Rice Pudding with brown sugar and vanilla

makes about 4 cups, and 4 servings.. unless you’re me… then it’s only one serving.

Print this Recipe!

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup Arborio rice

3 1/2 to 4 cups milk (I used 2%milk)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

large pinch allspice

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (we use the seeds only for this dish) (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)

blackberries (or any berries) for topping

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, scald 4 cups of milk. Bring the milk to just under boiling, turn off the flame and let it rest.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Add the rice grains and stir to coat. Ladle in just enough hot milk to cover the rice. Stir (with an awesome wooden spoon, if you have one) over the low flame. The rice will begin to absorb the milk. When the milk is almost fully absorbed, ladle in more hot milk. Stir until absorbed. Continue this process, standing over the stove, stirring milky rice. Taste the rice as you near the end of the milk. You may only need 3 1/2 cups instead of 4. As you add the last bit of milk, also incorporate the sugar, salt, spices, and scraped vanilla beans. Stir well to combine.

Stir over low heat until the milk is gone and the rice is tender, with just a hint of a toothsome bite. This took me about 15 minutes.

I like this rice pudding slightly loose. If you want it thicker, continue to cook it for a bit longer. Serve warm or cold, with fresh berries or without.

Rice pudding will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Good luck with that.

Top 5 “I’m Totally Freaking Out Right Now” Recipes

joythebaker — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:52:52 +0000

I do this thing when I’m filled to the brim with tasks and opportunities and responsibilities and stresses…. I add more. I really just pile it on. I somehow think that adding new responsibilities and stresses will erase the ones I’ve already loaded on my shoulders.

It’s illogical. It’s a terrible idea. It’s downright crazytown.

I’m in Crazytown and I’m about to move into Lost My Marblesville. Someone please send a straight jacket.

In related news, I’ve decided to move into a loft in downtown Los Angeles. I’m driving to Seattle in a Uhaul next week with my little sister… pray for us. Aaaand I’m teaching my first cooking class in Sonoma this weekend!

More on all of these things soon. For now… here’s what I’m stress eating.. no joke.

Mini Chocolate Dipped Bananas rolled in crushed honey roasted peanuts. If you really commit to your stress… I mean, really just get in there and wallow in it… I’m sure you can down a cool seven bananas in no time. Just. Like. Me.

Half spongy souffle cake, half warm pudding, all lemony goodness. Lemon Souffle Cake. Maybe I ate this whole souffle right out of the pie pan. Maybe. Maybe not. But… yea, definitely. That totally happened.

I have bathed in this Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

I like to eat brownies right out of the freezer. Dense, cold chocolate cake with melty frozen marshmallows? Yea… I never said I was normal. S’mores Brownies. Friends for life.

Giant Vanilla Sugar Cookies. There’s nothing like a cup of tea and a cookie the size of your face to wash your troubles away. Dreamy.

Note: Am I encouraging emotional overeating with this post? No. Yes… No. Well… maybe a little. I’m half kidding, half overcommitted and definitely stuffing cookies in my face at every opportunity. That’s just the honest truth. I hope you can handle it.

Brown Rice Rice Pudding

joythebaker — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:26:07 +0000

or should I just call it Brown Rice Pudding?

When I was a little one, I remember lulling myself to sleep by listing off in my brain all of the things that I might like to find in heaven should I find myself there. I started off with important things like:

I’d like to find my little sister Lauren in heaven, but I don’t want to have to share my toys with her if I don’t want to.

I’d like to find my best friend Natalie in heaven because I love to play with her hair.

I’d like to find Grandmother, Granddaddy and Aunt DeeDee in heaven because they make the best hamburgers every Friday night .

And then this list would surely devolve into something that resembles my Christmas wish list:

I want an Easy Bake Oven in heaven…

I want a Barbie Dream House in heaven.

I want mechanical pencils in heaven… I had a serious thing for mechanical pencils. Still do.

Nowadays I’m barely awake enough to get my socks off before I’m zonked out on my pillow. I’d like to put this down on record now, if you’ll indulge me.

I want Rice Pudding in heaven. Rice pudding with raisins. Rice pudding with dried cherries. White rice. Brown rice. Any kind of rice cooked with milk and sugar. Please.

A few mechanical pencils might be nice too.

Awesome. Thanks.

It’s hearty. It’s warm. It’s creamy and sweet. It’s filling and it might just be the most comforting bowl of goodness I’ve ever encountered.

Note: When served cold, the brown rice has a bit of a bite to it. I like it cold as much as I do warm, but be warned that cold brown rice pudding will be just a tad more work for your jaw.

Brown Rice Rice Pudding

serves 4 to 6

Print this Recipe!

4 cups water

1 cup brown rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

4 cups whole milk

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

1/2 vanilla bean, split open (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

1 cinnamon stick

pinch of ground cardamom

1/2 cup dried sour cherries (or any dried fruit you fancy)

Rinse brown rice in a strainer under cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in brown rice and salt. Turn flame down to medium and simmer rice, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, drain rice and water. Let rice sit in strainer for 10 seconds and then return to the pot you cooked it in (not over a flame) and immediately put a tight fitting lid on the pot. Let rice rest and steam for 10 minutes.

Once rice is cooked, place it in a bowl and set aside. Add 4 cups of milk, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, pinch of cardamom and vanilla bean to the pan. Bring to a very low boil, stirring often so the milk doesn’t burn. Add the cooked rice, butter and cherries to the hot milk. Stir often. Don’t ignore the milk or it might boil to furiously and curdle. Simmer until the milk cooks down and the rice is creamy, about 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl or serving dishes to cool. Serve cold or at room temperature.