Rice Pudding - Comfort Food Worth The Effort...And The Clean-Up!

Sometimes…the BEST dishes don’t start out that way. Like this pot of (what was supposed to be) Rice Pudding. UGH! What a MESS!

I had this kitchen disaster while I was still trying to get used to a new cook top. And as you can see…I had a long way to go to learn how to use it properly. But if at first I don’t succeed…you know the rest!

Here is the recipe for what FINALLY turned out to be a delicious, creamy Rice Pudding…

(I started with a recipe I found online, but it made a HUGE batch, so I tweaked it to fit my needs.)

4 Cups Milk (I used whole milk, but any kind will work)

1/2 Cup uncooked rice (medium grain rice is recommended for this dish but I used long grain)

1/2 Cup white sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 C milk

a pinch of salt

1 to 2 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon, to taste

METHOD:

In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine the rice, sugar, and the 4 cups of milk, Simmer, covered for one hour, stirring often. WATCH TEMP CLOSELY OR MIXTURE WILL BOIL OVER! (Lesson learned…the HARD way!) After one hour, remove from the heat and allow to “rest” and slightly cool for ten minutes.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, 1/4 cup milk, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Slowly stir mixture into the rice (add SLOWLY so the eggs don’t “scramble” from the hot liquid) and return to low heat until mixture starts to simmer. My kitchen began to smell fantastic, like sweet vanilla and sugar. And that smell certainly beat the previous smell of scorched milk and burned on sugar on the cooktop! (You see, even old Meemaws who have cooked for fifty years can STILL have kitchen disasters!)