I don’t know what it is about rice pudding, it’s not something I grew up eating, but I think it is the ultimate comfort food. I like it thick and creamy, studded with plumped raisins, and hot off the stove. And with the cool dampness settling in for the winter, combined with an enduring lack of sleep, I have been deeply craving comfort food. (That, and steaming hot bubble baths.)
My mother-in-law recently arrived with a suitcase full of all my favourite spices from India – the freshest cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, and cloves – so I’ve been using them in everything I can.
I tossed a cinnamon stick into my go-to rice pudding recipe along with a vanilla bean and a handful of raisins.
I stood at the stove stirring and tasting the warm pudding and deeply inhaling the sweet steam. It was like a much-needed warm hug. Now if only there was a pudding that feels like a nap.
The rice I used was Thai sticky (glutinous) rice – I had it on hand and wanted to find out if it would be a good substitute or arborio. It was great on the first day, but got too sticky overnight. Stick with arborio.
Feel free to substitute the vanilla bean for extract (just stir in a teaspoon at the very end) and/or the cinnamon stick for ground cinnamon (just swap in a teaspoonful at the same point in the recipe).
And I would totally support your decision to add an ounce of rum with the cream.
Cinnamon Raisin Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 cups 2% or whole milk
- ½ cup arborio rice
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cinnamon stick broken
- 1 vanilla bean scraped
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk to a boil with rice, raisins, sugar, butter, vanilla bean seeds, cinnamon stick and salt. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 hour, until rice is very tender.
- Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly add 1/2 cup of hot pudding to yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Slowly whisk egg mixture into remaining pudding in saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, 3-5 minutes, until pudding thickens. Remove from heat; stir in cream. Transfer to a shallow dish and chill 4 hours, up to overnight, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to avoid a pudding "skin".
That was delightful! Good call.
I just tried this and it worked out great! I used a a cereal bowl and my microwave is 900volts so it took 45 second then a turn and then another 30. Your times were a great starting point, I didn’t even have one lost egg!
Glad to hear it, Tiffany!! Enjoy 🙂
I just made two poached eggs using this method but skipped the vinegar since I didn’t have any. They turned out beautifully and were not even a stringy mess! Thank you!!!
Good to know that they’ll still turn out without the vinegar!! Glad you liked 🙂
Just made this. First try followed the directions exactly but it exploded in my ramekin. Ooops. Second try it worked beautifully except not all the white stayed on the egg even with the vinegar.But of course it tasted amazing. Thank you for sharing!
Yikes, it exploded?? That hasn’t happened to me in the hundreds of eggs I’ve made this way… glad you gave it a second go, though!
What wattage is your microwave? I have a ridiculously weak microwave and the instructions resulted in an overdone egg. Will try again with shorter cooking time.
I’m not sure, but it’s new, and seems pretty powerful! Every microwave is different, though. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you – play with the time a bit and I’m sure it will.
I love love love poached eggs. How would I do 3 at a time? Blush!
Does it need to be white vinegar? I only have malt 🙁 I’m going to try it anyway haha
Any acid will do 🙂
Awesome! Am so trying this for breakfast, but thanks to you it’ll only take a minute 😀 Would putting a small plate over the ramekin or cup work instead of plastic wrap?
I don’t actually know how that would affect the transfer of heat… you’d could try it, but you’d have to be willing to sacrifice an egg if it doesn’t work!
I don’t think it did, although the yolks did start to go un-runny on the very edges. Might just be my microwave power though. Yay thanks for this, will be such a lifesaver.
I aint no cook, but that was awesome. I truly surpassed myself!!
Haha glad you enjoyed 🙂
Turned out great!!