Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

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Rice Pudding Deluxe

Comfort food at its finest! Many years ago a local restaurant chain had a deluxe rice pudding on the menu. It came served on a very large platter...a warm rice pudding, smothered with a vanilla custard and topped with whipped cream. My daughter and I reasoned that if we shared the dessert it was almost a healthy choice. And so our shopping trips often included a stop at that particular restaurant for a treat. It was a sad day when we found our favorite item was no longer on the menu. Several years ago, I made up a copykat version at my daughter's request. Since that time a rice pudding party has become an annual tradition...always in February. Our pudding day 2013 has come and gone... with four 'girls' around the table.  We each had our own big serving and we didn't need dinner that day!


Ingredients:
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup short grain pearl rice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
  1. Place rice, milk and salt in a deep, heavy saucepan.*
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, while stirring.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about 45 minutes (or until rice is cooked) stirring frequently.
  4. In a small bowl, combine egg, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a whisk.
  5. Stir 1/2 cup of the cooked rice into the egg mixture...then add the egg/sugar mixture to the cooked rice.
  6. Add raisins.
  7. Cook on low for two or three minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  9. Cool slightly and serve warm or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold. It is delicious either way.
*If you have a double boiler, the simplest method is to cook the rice in the top of the double boiler over boiling water.  This takes a little longer but reduces the risk of scorching the rice.

To bump it up a notch:
  1. Prepare your favorite vanilla custard.
  2. Whip up a pint of whipping cream, slightly sweetened and laced with vanilla.
  3. Spread a layer of rice pudding on dinner plate or platter.
  4. Top with a layer of vanilla custard.
  5. Garnish liberally with whipped cream.
  6. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  7. Indulge in rice pudding deluxe!

27 comments:

  1. That looks so delicious !! Thank you for the recipe.
    Hugs from The Netherlands.

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  2. It's beautiful!!!! Looks like something worthy of serving for dinner at Downton??? Mmmmm.

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  3. That looks really delicious, do you think that would work with Coconut milk or Almond milk?

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    1. Though I have not tried either, apparently rice pudding can be made with coconut milk (use 1 can coconut milk and additional water...though I am not sure of the proportions). If you give it try, let us know how it turns out.

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    2. I have made it with almond and rice milk it works but there is a wee bit of difference in flavor and creaminess.

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  4. Oh good grief! This looks heavenly! I'm the only one in my household who likes rice pudding, so I think I'm going to check with my friends to see if I can come up with some others who would like to have a pudding day. Can't wait to try this recipe.

    Thanks for sharing it.

    Diane in North Carolina

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  5. I love rice pudding! Today, with the cold rain which will be turning to heavy, wet snow (and who knows how much of an accumulation), coupled with high winds would be the ideal day for me to try your recipe.

    :running between raindrops to store: and hanging on to the hood of my coat!

    ~Blessings,
    Jan ♥

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  6. I looove rice pudding.I make a creamy version on top of the stove using evaporated 'carnation" milk and half ordinary full cream milk, then I top it with a homemade ,very jammy , strawberry sauce made from fresh strawberries chopped and cooked down with sugar till thick and jammy ...delicious

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  7. Can regular long grain or basamati rice be used?

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    1. Though I am sure one could use long grain rice...they tend to break down while cooking and become mushy. The short grains stay intact and have the right amount of starch to thicken the pudding. (So I am told.)

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    2. You possibly could use the long grain type rice, which includes basmati, for the warm pudding version. However, it will not stay soft when it is chilled like the short grain rice does. Instead it will be a bit crunchy, which I don't like. Neither will it thicken the same, which is why you are supposed to use short grain for risotto. This is because the there is a difference in the chemical composition of the starches in the different kinds of rice.

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    3. Thankyou, I just bought the rice that you make risotto with as I wasn't able to find short grain pearl rice. So looking forward to this for lunch today:)

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  8. Is short grain pearl rice the same as arborio italian rice?

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  9. I have looked for months, for SHORT grain rice. Where would I find short grain pearl rice?
    Thanks for all the GREAT recipes!
    Elsie

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    1. You might find the article at http://www.foodsubs.com/Rice.html on the Cook's Thesaurus website helpful. They say this is the same as sushi rice. I think that arborio or another short grain rice might work. You might check the ethnic section of your grocery, or the small boxes of rice and couscous section instead of with the regular bags of rice.

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    2. Elsie...I'm not sure of your location, but in our area I have always been able to find short grain pearl rice at Safeway. I have both the Townhouse brand and the Safeway brand in my pantry at the moment. Hope that helps.

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    3. Thank you both very much. I will try both suggestions.

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  10. Yum! I would most certainly be able to sit down to the deluxe version of this....a full portion please:)

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  11. Pwdin Reis (rice pudding) is definately a comfort food for me. I make it like my mother did, simply milk(full milk, we never had low fat back in the day) sugar and rice and baked for 2 hrs in a low oven. No flavouring, nothing added. How could anything so plain be so good. After the war this was often the only pudding we had. Anghard

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  12. I made the pudding (without raisins or the deluxe finishing and my husband and I enjoyed it this afternoon. Absolutely delicious.

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  13. It's weird. I don't like rice that much as a starch with savory, but I LOVE rice pudding. I usually make it with leftover rice from Chinese takeout. What can I say, my Grandma taught me to be frugal. I'm pretty much incapable of throwing anything out.

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  14. Ohhhh Laaaaa Laaaaa My daughters, husband and I will also be having a pudding day or two in the year:) As the pudding was being prepared... some of the sugar/cinnamon/nutmeg/egg mix fell onto the counter, that is the start of a VERY good thing:) This is a fantastic dish!!! Thankyou:)

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  15. I haven't had rice pudding in ages. This version sounds spectacular. It looks so silky and creamy.

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  16. This rice pudding is being made today! I have a gimpy knee and will be able to very little today but will make this for my “comfort food”.

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  17. Oh, I love raisins and I LOVE rice pudding - beautiful combination! Love your photos as well - delightful.

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  18. Judy, not only do I love this rice pudding but also the dish it is served in. I have a complete four place setting minus one dinner plate. Wish I could find one. Love Mennonite Girls Can Cook recipes. Use them all the time as it brings back a lot of memories to my childhood days when mom used to make this food.

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