FOODIE FRIDAY RECIPE - BAKED RICE PUDDING

Oven-baked rice pudding is one of my favorite desserts.  I like it with a lot of custard, cold and with a dollop of whipped cream.  You can have it either way but I prefer mine without raisins.  Sometimes I like diced dried apricot and/or slivered almonds but usually I'm a "purist".

This is a simple, flexible recipe sure to satisfy.

Whenever I make rice in my handy electronic rice cooker I make extra.  I like to have it on hand to throw in soup or make into Spanish Rice or use it for rice pudding.  

Ingredients:

1.25 cups cooked white rice [not instant variety]

2.5 cups milk

.5 cup sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 vanilla bean + .25 tsp. pure vanilla extract

.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

.25 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

pinch of ground cardamom [optional]

.75 cup raisins [optional]

butter for coating baking dish

Method:

Begin by soaking vanilla bean in the milk for 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 325* and grease an 8" X 8" baking pan with soft butter, place the pan inside a 9" X 13" baking pan and put aside.  

Combine eggs, sugar and spices and slightly beat.

Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and reserve.  Add milk to eggs and lightly beat with a whisk.

With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and remove the seeds by scraping with the dull side of the knife.  Add the seeds to the liquid mixture.

Add the cooked rice and stir.  Add the raisins [if you're one of those people] and pour the mixture into the prepared smaller pan.

Move the double pan set-up to the oven and fill the outer pan with about 4 cups very hot water to make the water bath.

Bake for 30 minutes, stir and then bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.  I like to refrigerate mine before eating.

Enjoy!