Rice Pudding (Recipe Included)

My girls and I were going to a friend's house for a play date a few days ago. I had made salad to take, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to make a sweet treat to share. It was a chilly day, so I decided to make one of my favorite treats when the weather is cold, rice pudding! Mmm, mmmm, so comforting on a cold day.

I love any kind of pudding. I like baked puddings. I like pudding parfaits. I like custard. I even like the cook and serve kind out of a box. Of course, I prefer homemade, but, I will not pass up the store bought kind. To me, there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of pudding, especially a bowl of warm rice pudding. This is not something that I grew up with. We never really ate rice pudding. But I really have developed a love for it. I could eat it in cold weather or hot weather. It is simply delicious. I know there are a lot of variations on recipes for rice pudding. Some people use pre-cooked rice. Some people make it on a stove like a real pudding. I definitely prefer the baked kind. My recipe is super easy too because you do not have to cook the rice beforehand. Also, puddings are always richer if you use whole milk, but I generally just use whatever I have on hand. If I decide to make rice pudding last minute, I will just use the 2% that I have in the refrigerator. If I know ahead of time that I am going to make it, I will buy whole milk. You could just use whatever you have or whatever you prefer. You could sure cut out a lot of fat by using 1% or 2% instead of whole milk.

Rice pudding is found in almost every area around the world. Recipes vary greatly even within a single country. Rice pudding can be made with most kinds of rice. A handful of grains can expand to feed an entire family. It can be a dessert or snack, hot or cold. It is generally flavored with spices typical of the regional cuisine. You would think that being a baked or cooked pudding that it would be from the United Kingdom. However, it has roots all over the world. For example, it is extremely common in India where rice is a staple. Although we all have our own version, rice pudding is a dessert that everyone around the world has in common.

Rice Pudding

1/2 cup rice

1 qt milk

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

1/3 cup butter

3 eggs

1 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine rice with 2 cups milk in top of double boiler. Cook over hot water until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Add raisins and butter. Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and 2 cups milk. Stir into hot rice mixture. Pour into greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish. Combine 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour uncovered.