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This week is rice pudding, one of my all-time favorite desserts. I can't believe I used to groan whenever my mom made it when I was growing up. I was missing out. It has since become a Christmas Eve traditional dessert in our family. One bowl gets an almond in it, and that person gets to open a gift. Now that there are a few kids around the table, somehow the almonds end up in their bowls.Rice
wild, Arborio, Basmati, converted, sushi, white
These are all the bags of rice I had in my cupboard. I usually use Basmati, wild or converted (which means partially cooked) as a side dish and always converted for the rice pudding recipe I usually use. I have sushi rice (also called Japanese rice) on hand for the very rare time I try to make sushi at home.
Since I had all these bags on hand, I thought I'd make four batches of rice pudding using Arborio, Basmati, converted, and sushi rice.
Here are my surprising results:
1. My favorite was the Basmati, but it had a more grown-up appeal. It had a herbal flavor, and I'd love to try it with lavender someday.
2. Sushi rice was my next favorite. It has a subtle flavor that picks up the sweetness of the pudding nicely.
3. Arborio, like the Sushi rice, was nice but not flavorful enough.
4. I didn't like the converted version. It was too bland. Too much like a side dish of rice.
Boiling four bowls of rice and milk at once is not recommended. If you turn your back for a second, milk will boil over and be all over your stovetop. And you might burn your finger on the hot handle of one while another boils over. Not that this happened to me this week. Just sayin'.
¼ cup Arborio rice
2 cups water
3¼ cups whole milk
¼ cup sugar
1½ tsp or 1 tbsp vanilla
1½ or 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
You can find the recipe for Arborio Rice Pudding in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Isabelle from Les gourmandises d’Isa who chose the recipe for this week.
Update: There is a typo in the cookbook. The cooking time should be 55 minutes (not 30 minutes).
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Recipe for Creamy Oven-Baked Rice Puddingfrom Today's Parent
This is my favorite rice pudding recipe.
⅓ cup rice
3 cups hot milk
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 250°F. Butter a casserole dish. Stir in rice, hot milk, sugar, and butter. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 2½ hours, stirring every half-hour. Add raisins in the last half-hour. Remove pudding from oven. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
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Tasting NotesI halved the Arborio recipe and made half with bittersweet chocolate and half with vanilla extract. I've never had chocolate rice pudding before, and it was delicious. But I prefer the traditional rice pudding. Although this recipe was good, I like my tried-and-true version of rice pudding. It's made in a slow oven, so no chance of it boiling over. And, I've learned that I'd rather use sushi or Arborio rice in my version next time. I'll save the Basmati version for more experimental eaters.
"When they didn't give him boiled mutton, they gave him rice pudding, pretending it was a treat."
Charles Dickens, 'The Schoolboy's Story' (1853)
Thanksgiving Twofer Pie on page 321 chosen by Vibi from La casserole carrée.
My Bucket List
A Meme
Sweet Diva from The Sugar Bar tagged me with a random facts meme. I was supposed to come up with seven, but here are five. Feel free to play along.
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52 comments:
I bet that oven-baking takes a lot of the stress out of cooking something like this that's little finicky - I've seen recipes for oven-baked risotto that I want to try someday. (I'm enjoying your bucket list, by the way ...)
How wonderful that you made this with several different types of rice; it's so interesting to read your comparisons! Isn't it funny the rice pudding "associations" we bring from our childhoods? Now I know that I was missing out, too! This is a great recipe. Yours looks superb!
I'm a total summer person too. I hate winter--and I live in Southern California! I freeze here. I don't know what I would do if I lived in a place with a real winter.
I can't believe you tried the different kind of rices. My favorite rice pudding recipe uses basmati rice.
You know, I'm not much of a rice pudding fan, but that ovenbake one could change my mind. I love that shot of all the different rices. Fantastic as always!
Loved the pictures and your narrative, very informative!! I thought this rice pudding was a bit too runny, but did taste quite good. I just drained off some of the liquid and dug in anyways!
I was so excited when I saw all the different types of rice you used. I love it when do comparisons, plus I trust you! I can't believe I forgot about sushi rice.. I could have used that so my rice pudding would actually be pudding. I love it when rice is infused with flavour too!
I think I'd like Basmati rice or some other fragrant rice even better then Arborio too, but I'm sure all of your versions were tasty!
4 types?! Okay, overachiever award to Steph! These all look good. I'm going to basmati rice next!
I'll have to try that oven baked rice pudding - sounds wonderful. I love your photos and the cinnamon sugar on the cups - beautiful!
I love that you always experiment and try all different sorts of options. I have the basmati on hand, and may give that a try. Great pictures, as usual!
Interesting use of rice. I just stuck to plain old basmati. Nice photos!
oh, thank u thank u thank u!!!!!!!
i want to do a chai spiced rice pudding and am actually in the process of testing it with basmati rice (which is all i have on hand at the moment)...here i am torturing myself as to whether i should go to the supermarket an get some arborio to test the results or just keep everything indian by stickin with the basmati, then came your blog HALLELUJAH, u answered my question :) thank u very much!
AW! That's the Shari I know and love!
What courage you have, three rice testing is definately out of my league!
But the best is even if delicious... when soupy is not your friend... make it a Shari-cocktail!
Love, love the idea... I can't get over your creativity!
Shari, this oven baked recipe is the one you sent with your Christmas letter a few years ago and it has become a hands down favorite in our house ever since. Easy AND delicious. Thanks!
(Looking forward to this year's recipe!)
i adore rice pudding! these look great :) i love autumn. it's my favourite season, but i'm glad to hear you're a summer person! i always think summer people are wonderfully fun. x
Wow, you went all out on this one. I love that you tried so many rices!! Good job!
I didn't have much luck with the rice pudding. :( Mine was really soupy. I may have to try your baked version though -- I still have some whole milk leftover!
I have a couple of bloggy questions. Would you mind helping me out? How do you get the neat note above this for leaving a comment? And where did you find the neat graphic at the bottom that allows readers to share, stumble, etc.?? I'd love some advice!
Thanks!
Wow- that's awesome that you got so creative! This was my first time making rice pudding and I can't wait to experiment with some different methods and rice!
I love the story about the almond and Christmas- that sounds like a fun tradition! Thanks for the info about the different types of rice. I have many sitting in my cupboard but I've never gone through and tested them all!
Great idea, dipping the serving dishes.
I have never heard of oven baked rice pudding.
My mom loves rice pudding and I was just telling her how I thought Arborio rice would make a really nice one!
j'adore les photos que tu as faites ! c'est superbe !
Great experiments! It looks so inviting, but a little liquidy hey? Try glutinous rice, that's the asian style! Learnt that just on Sunday when my gramma coincidentally made asian rice pudding while I was making Dorie's!
lovely pics! thanks for the recipe and your rice comparison too, great idea :)
That looks really good, now I'm sorry I missed this week
Wow, I almost tried multiple different variations, but then ran out of time. Ever tried quinoa? I was curious about trying that one, but I chickened out :)
What a great way to compare different rices! but a lot of work for you? I've never had oven baked before. Would love to try it. I'm the same as you about fall. I hate winter weather!
Yum, that looks delicious! I actually attempted rice pudding about a month ago but unfortunately didn't fully cook the rice, so it was, uh, crunchy rice pudding... Maybe I'll give your recipe a try so we can have the REAL deal!
Thanks, Shari for doing all the heavy lifting on rice comparisons! I will definitely try sushi rice. We use short grain rice a lot around here, sticky is our favorite way to eat rice. I'm also glad to get your favorite recipe. Yum!!
Nancy
My rice pudding always comes out too heavy and gets hard instead of creamy!
You sound like a rice pudding expert, so I will try it your way, with basmati.
Thanks for the step by step!
Stacey Snacks
Beautiful photos...great post...learned a lot...love the bucket list you have been doing, take me along...and the fun things about you were really fun...and funny, especially the one about the driving! Oh, yeah, and the pudding looks lovely also.
Thanks for all of your experimentation! I love the idea of lavender basmati...mmm.
I also love the Dickens quote:)
And, I'm with you on the seasons. It's in the 20s here in WI and I'm nearly perpetually cold. Sigh. Summer will be a long time coming...
Thank you for the tips on the different kinds of rice-- I have a bag of sushi rice here that needs attention, heh heh :)
I suffered a milk boil-over with one of my batches, so the oven version is very appealing. I bought quince for the first time recently and made some quince apple jam that is really good. Isn't it cool how they turn pink when you cook them for a long time?
Shari,
You always do such a great job and I love this pudding experiment, great idea! Overall, we looked this recipe and can not wait to have again!
I don't like winter either - what are we doing in Ontario? The pups are not happy with the cold. I keep trying to tell them it is only going to get worse.
I love the fact that you did a study in rice puddings, I would like to try the basmati one - with raisins.
Made the rice pudding last night, using arborio. It tasted really good. My husband was delighted, this is one of his favourite desserts, but sadly one I rarely make but from now on it will become part of my repetoire.Thanks
Great looking pudding..your pictures are nice. I wasn't to thrilled with this recipe but Im glad I tried it!
I usually make it the old fashioned way, standing there stirring until my arm falls off. I have been looking for a baked one for a while now. Thank you.
(I think I would love the sushi one just because it so glutinous!)
My Mom is allergic to milk products so we didn't have rice pudding around the house. I missed out too. Nice that I found it, finally. Glad you and your family enjoyed and I think I'm a fan of the vanilla as well.
AmyRuth
Regarding your meme posts: Cold hands are the PITS!! I'm very impressed by the variety of rices you used. Nice job.
audrey - It is so much easier to bake this in the oven than using the stovetop! Oven-baked risotto sounds like a great idea too.
cathy - I wish I hadn't been so picky as a child. I guess my kids are getting back at me.
pinkstripes - Oh, SC would be heaven for me!
phemom - The oven-baked version is so good and easy. Plus I'm sure you could use Dorie's ingredients and the method for oven-baking.
marie - I should have drained some off too.
steph - It was fun to taste all the different rices.
mevrouw cupcake - Jasmine rice would be good too, I bet.
the food librarian - Thanks!
laura - You're sweet!
madam chow - Experimenting is fun!
jules someone - You used my favorite - basmati.
chantal - Chai rice pudding soounds great!!
vibi - I definitely don't need all the different versions of rice pudding in the fridge! I keep sneaking bites during the day. Not good.
anonymous - I have so many new recipes to choose from this year.
diva - I like to think I'm fun! ;)
maria - Thanks!
jamie - Mine was soupy too, but I loved it anyways. Hope you got my email...
beth g - Rice pudding is such a good base recipe to experiment with.
anne - Sounds like your cupboard is as full as mine!
chocolatechic - Thanks!
katie - Hope you make it!
isabelle - Great pick this week, Isabelle!
eunice - Good point! Loved your Asian version. Looked delicious.
kim - Thanks!
spike - Make it someday, if you can. It's easy.
engineer baker - Quinoa sounds like a good one to experiment with!
peggy - Just lots of dishes this week!
katie - My oven-baked version is so easy, and you definitely don't end up with crunchy rice at the end.
n.o.e. - I love sticky rice too, but sticky rice as rice pudding is even better!
stacey snacks - Hope you give it a try!
kayte - Sure, come along. I'll meet you in France!
dharmagirl - I always feel better in January when Spring is "coming". :)
manggy - It's a good way to use up some sushi rice!
carol peterman - I've had one too many milk boil-overs this week!
chez us - Rice pudding is very popular in our house too.
natashya - I'm not sure why I ended up in Ontario, but there aren't too many places in canada that are warm during the winter months anyway. Oh well.
jacqui - That's great!
flourchild - Thanks!
lori - I should have stirred and stirred so that the pot wasn't so hard to clean afterwards!
amyruth - Good to know it will be part of your dessert repertoire now!
pamela - I feel like wearing gloves in the house sometimes 'cause I get so cold!
Thanks, everyone! You're the best!
~Shari
Beautifully done! Love the presentation.
Your rice pudding looks fabulous! I wouldn't have thought to mix the rices, but it's a great idea!
I can't believe you made so many different kinds! I had to laugh about your comment with all the milk boiling at the same time. I really liked this recipe and yours looks delicious. I haven't ever made rice pudding. I am interested in trying your favorite recipe that you posted here.
4 different kinds? Ok, Superwoman, that is truly amazing. I love rice pudding, but I will make my usual recipe next time.........or try yours!!
PS - If you like the warm weather, come to Vegas. It's 79 degrees here right now.
Shari, your blog is such a treat to read! Basmati is a staple in my pantry, and for whatever reason never thought to use it for rice pudding (duh!).
I've been very curious to try an oven baked rice pudding, and I must try your recipe.
Shari, I love that you tried several different kinds of rice for this recipe. I happened to have arborio rice on hand so I didn't even think to try a different type of rice.
Impressive! Not to mention creative. I'd love to try this recipe with basmati rice. Sounds intriguing. Great job!
The oven baked one sounds delicious! I usually bake mine and found it odd that this recipe didn't. Great job on all four of yours!
I need to try the oven baked kind. Not like mom taught me. thanks
Hi,
For the rice, if I use sushi rice, is it the serving amount the same?
You said you put it in the slow cooker - how long do you leave it for?
Thanks,
Maria
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