Rice Pudding

I am a fan of creamy, old fashioned desserts.   I love tapioca pudding, vanilla custards or puddings, banana pudding with vanilla wafers and thick homemade custard, trifle, bread pudding you name it.  One that we ate a lot of when I was a kid, was rice pudding with raisins.   My dad loved it!   My mom's rice pudding was usually baked, but I preferred it cooked on top of the stove and without the raisins.     I have also discovered that for a subtle caramel flavor, to substitute dark brown sugar for white sugar.   Either way, it is some tasty stuff!

Creamy Rice Pudding

3/4 cup uncooked white rice

2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup white sugar (for a caramel like flavor, use dark brown sugar in place of the white)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup golden raisins (optional, I leave them out)

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir rice into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.    In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  You can add a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg for a bit of different flavor.   Eat warm or chilled

Baked Rice Pudding

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar (for a caramel flavor, use dark brown sugar)
• 3/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter a 1-quart glass baking dish.  In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and spices.   Stir in the rice and raisins.   Pour into the baking dish and place it in large baking pan, then pour hot water in the bottom pan about an inch deep.   Bake for about 1 1/2 hours,  or until set and lightly browned on top.   Cool before cutting into squares.   Serve warm or chilled.

To make maple flavored rice pudding, to either recipe add about 1/4 cup real maple syrup when adding the sugar and use dark brown sugar in place of the white sugar.