Rice pudding, babies!

Hey folks, long time no see! So, here's my obsession of the day: rice pudding. A lady I work with had a little pre-made cup of it today and it triggered my memories. My grandma used to feed me rice pudding out of the little single-serve tins when I was a tiny kid (back in the day before the plastic cups came around). To me, rice pudding is associated with plastic table cloths, avocado-green refrigerators, and cigarette smoke... and a grandma who I found both indulgent and terrifying, in approximately equal parts.

I don't think I've ever had bad rice pudding, but I've had several good ones (including a fantastic mild, lemon-y one made by a friend from Spain, which I really need to get the recipe for). So I'm going to share two very different and very good recipes.

The first one is a fairly plain and traditional version, a lot like the kind you got in the little tins, but with raisins. It contains very little sugar and is really not too bad for you at 177 calories per half cup. Enough of an excuse for me to eat it for breakfast. It also doesn't contain eggs, with works well with my general disgust for the things. It is pretty easy to make. As a sidenote, it appears to contain an unfeasibly small amount of actual rice. Just trust the recipe, it will work out fine. If you halve this recipe, cooking time is going to be significantly less, more like 30 - 40 min.


Old Fashioned Rice Pudding
(source: all recipes.com)

3 1/2 c milk
1/2 c uncooked long grain rice
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 c raisins
1 tsp vanilla extract
ground cinnamon

Mix milk, rice and sugar in a saucepan and heat to a boil, stirring constantly.

Pour into greased casserole dish (1 1/2 quart), cover and put in a 325F oven.

Bake for 45 min, stirring every 15 min.

After 45 min, add raisins and vanilla, cover and bake for another 15 min.

Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

Store in your avocado-green fridge.



This other recipe is one I made up to recreate the rice pudding made by the cooks at the Kluane Lake Research Station during the summer of 2007 when I was there. It has lots of stuff in it.


My Version of Danielle and Schuylah's Kluane Rice Pudding

2 c cooked white rice
1/4 c wild rice (measure then cook)
1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 c raisins
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c milk, divided
1/3 c sliced almonds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine 1 1/2 c milk, cooked rices, sugar and salt in saucepan, cook until thick and creamy.

Stir in rest of milk, egg, raisins, almonds and spices.

Continue cooking until you think the egg is safe to eat. :P


So there you have it. Rice pudding, in all it's delicious, versatile glory.