Cinnamon Rice Pudding

This is the rice pudding recipe I grew up with and it’s still the best! 
Creamy, sweet and with a hint of citrus, it is easy to make and keeps well refrigerated for several days. I love it very cold with lots of ground cinnamon. Or with a spoonful of dulce de leche. 

Today’s theme around our Sunday Supper table is comfort food.

A subject that can only evoke good memories. Yes, this day can only get better as you will be able to read about the different comfort foods that this group put together. We have a special guest, stellar writer Lee Woodruff, who happens to love comfort food. But then, who doesn’t?

This is the rice pudding my grandmothers, mother and everyone around me made when I was a kid. It was my favorite dessert, eaten very cold and with ground cinnamon on top. Today it tasted just as good.

What is rice pudding?

It’s a cooked dessert that has rice, milk, and sugar as its main ingredients.

By now, there are a million and one different recipes, from countries around the world.

This recipe is a creamy stovetop pudding that comes together easily. What this rice pudding does not have are egg yolks. The texture is probably less sticky. Half the milk is cooked with the sugar and the other half with the rice and flavorings. They are then mixed and when the rice is done, a dash of cream is added. Even without the cream, it is a rich dessert.

I’m absolutely partial to cinnamon here. But I infuse the milk with some citrus peel also. Today I used a piece of lemon and a strip of tangerine.

I remember vividly eating this with my brothers, it was a favorite dessert for everyone now that I think of it. My childhood didn’t have any of the distractions or gadgets that kids have these days. Outside was the place to play and dream up ways to spend the day. 

No takeout, few restaurants, whole summers spent in the country where dairy and eggs came from our own cows and hens. It is a rather magical thing for a child to be surrounded by that. And this cinnamon rice pudding will always have that nostalgic taste about it.

Cinnamon Rice Pudding

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Stove top cooking
• Cuisine: International

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Description

One of my favorite recipes from childhood, this is a stovetop pudding that comes together easily and lasts for several days.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• Scant ½ cup sugar
• 2/3 cup long grain rice
• 1 strip lemon peel
• 1 strip orange or tangerine peel
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• ¼ cup cream
• Ground cinnamon (to sprinkle)

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring half of milk and sugar to a boil.
2. Turn down heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.
3. In another medium saucepan, put the rest of the milk, cinnamon stick and citrus peels and bring to a boil.
4. Add the rice, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the sugared milk to the saucepan that has the rice and cook, stirring often, until the rice is done to your taste. For me it takes 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cream.
6. Transfer to a bowl, take out the citrus peels and cinnamon stick, let cool, cover and refrigerate until very cold.
7. To serve, laddle pudding into bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon. You can add an extra Tbs of cream or milk before serving.

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Notes

Use a different citrus to infuse the milk or even spices, such as cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks or vanilla beans.

Serving: serve it with a dollop of dulce de leche for a stunning dessert.

Keywords: rice pudding

Adapted from Dolli Irigoyen

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!