Rice Pudding (Arroz Con Leche)

Baby sister and I whipped this up at the last minute while preparing the family's Christmas dinner. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision (hmm, we failed to plan a dessert? oops!) that everyone seemed to enjoy. We based it off some basic recipes floating around the internet, removed the cane sugar content, and added our own twists. The dinner table was evenly divided between camps of people who wanted it served hot versus people who wanted it served cold... either way, it's delicious!

Serves 3-4


Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 1/3 c. white rice
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. maple syrup (adjust this to your own taste)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• pinch of saffron

Directions:

1. Bring the milk, rice and salt to boil in a medium-sized pot; be careful not to scald the milk by allowing it to reach a boil gradually rather than cranking up the heat. 
2. Once it has reached a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and allow the rice to cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until it is tender. Stir frequently.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and maple syrup.
4. Whisk 1/2 c. of the milk-rice into the egg-maple syrup mixture. Add the rice gradually -- 1 tablespoon at a time. This is to keep the milk from scalding. Keep the remainder of the rice-milk simmering on low.
5. Add the egg etc. mixture back into the original saucepan. Keep the heat low and simmer for 5-10 more minutes, stirring often. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and saffron and stir them in thoroughly. 

Sorry, no photos. This got eaten WAY too fast!