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".
I aint no cook, but that was awesome. I truly surpassed myself!!
What a brilliant idea!  I really like eggs, but rarely make them that much because I’m terrified of undercooking them…I’ll definitely have to include this microwave poached egg in my quest to improve my egg-cooking skills.  Seriously amazing 🙂
YOU ARE AMAZING!  i absolutely adore poached eggs but i don’t even know how to make them the “old fashioned” way so i can only get them when i go out to restaurants!  for breakfast this morning i had poached eggs and toast and a cup of tea and it was the perfect way to start my day!  you are a genius, i never would’ve thought to add the vinegar…oh by the way, did i mention that i was able to have this fabulous breakfast out of my on-campus college apartment?? yum. 🙂
You need to buy a microwave poached egg gadget. I own one. It cost me two dollars and all you do is put the eggs in the plastic base, add the lid and bung them in the microwave Makes awesome eggs perfectly every time and no messing around to ‘get it right’. Nice photos though 🙂
This recipe is fantastic. Now to atone to the chicken gods for all the rubbery abominations I’ve microwaved in the past…
Pro tip: if you prick the yolk with a toothpick you reduce the chance of explosion by 63%.
I am Thrilled with this AMAZING idea of yours!  Thank you so much!  I ran to my micro ~ followed your instructions exactly and I now have a beautiful, buttery poached egg sitting a top a perfectly toasted english muffin! 
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 tried it this morning and yes you did find a easy and quick way to microwave the PERFECT poached egg!  Thanks looks like I will be having poached eggs alot more often.
can’t believe how excited I am to try this. when’s breakfast?
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!!!