As a child, I remember that my father’s favorite dessert was Rice Pudding. My Mom has a family recipe that included baking it in the oven. The heavenly smell of cinnamon would fill the air. When it was time to serve it, we dished it out in big bowls and poured extra milk on top to make it extra smooth and creamy!!! Her recipe used raisins and white rice. I use Arborio rice to make it a bit Italian and much creamier.This is such an easy version. It was adapted from Dave Leiberman from the Food Network.
1 cup water Pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup raisins (plumped in bioling water)
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Few dashes ground cinnamon
Freshly ground pinch of nutmeg
Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, return to a boil, and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until rice has absorbed the water but it still al dente, about 15 minutes.
Bring milk, sugar, vanilla, and a few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add the cooked rice and raisins and cook at a simmer over medium-low heat until rice absorbs most of the milk and mixture starts to get thick and silky, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer pudding to a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator until cool and set. Serve with whipped cream and a dash more cinnamon. I hope this becomes one of your family favorites!