Today it is snowy outside. It looks beautiful but it is absolutely perishingly cold. We’ve had a fantastic day though, dressing ourselves up in MichelinMan-style layers  and going out sledging as a family. The result is that we have rosy cheeks and a healthy appetite. So I feel the need for a proper pudding today. 

Rice pudding is a dish which I had never cooked myself until recently when my mother reminded me that it had been one of my favourite puds when little.  Here’s her simple recipe which is classic feelgood fare for a winter weekend. It’s ridiculously easy to make.   This recipe is technically low-fat (although with plenty of sugar) but you could pop in some evaporated milk for a bit more creaminess and a retro feel.

I’m popping it in the oven while I bathe my girls and put them to bed and then it’ll be ready for supper for my other half and me. I’ve made enough for my daughters tomorrow as well (the sugar in it makes it not suitable for tiny ones).

It’s not the world’s most aesthetically beautiful pud  but teamed with some gorgeous stewed fruit or a good jam it’s awesomely ‘feelgood’ food.

Great for a pregnant or new mum needing sustenance. And ideal for a busy (or like me, slightly lazy) mum who wants nice food with minimal effort.

The Recipe. Time 10 mins prep, 2 hours to cook . Difficulty level: Easy as pie.

Ingredients (serves 4):

100g pudding rice

50g sugar – make it 75g if you have a sweet tooth.

700ml semi-skimmed milk (substitute some for evaporated milk if you feel indulgent).

Choose one or all of these for taste: A little nutmeg, something vanilla’y (a pod or 3 drops of essence), a smidgeon of lemon zest. If it’s for grown-ups only you could add a bit more lemon zest for a lovely lemony pudding taste.

To make:

Heat your oven to 150 degrees. Pop some butter onto a good Le Crueset or equivalent baking dish (about 850ml). I like to cook it covered for the first hour and then uncover as the browned bit on top is delish. Wash and drain the rice and put into the dish with the sugar and milk. Give it a bit of a stir and  in a maybe a vanilla pod or drop of essence. It’s great with a small amount of lemon zest too. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg on top.

Cook for 2 hours. Eat with jam or compote – ideal in front of a roaring fire.

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PS And we’ve just seen this rather lovely Nicaraguan version with cinnamon and condensed milk posted on the brilliant Bitchbuzz. That looks seriously gorgeous.

Tags: easy rice pudding recipe, feelgood food., food for pregnancy

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 27th, 2010 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Feelgood Food, Feelgood Food Ideas, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.