Recently, I read this post by traditional food blogger Cheeseslave, entitled Paula of Guadalajara, Mexico: A Testament to Dr. Weston Price, and was struck by her exchange regarding dessert:
I asked her how many times a week her children got dessert. I thought maybe she’d say once a week. She said, “Usually every night.” … She’d also make them “arroz con leche” or rice & milk custard, made with milk, butter, rice, raisins, cinnamon, and a tiny bit of sugar.
When I saw that, I was instantly inspired to make rice pudding. I’ve been a fan of rice pudding since I was a little girl, and especially liked the recipe my grandmother uses. She passed it down to me, and I’m so grateful to have it, because it’s wonderful! In fact, I’ve made this rice pudding for people who say they hate the stuff, and after tasting it they become total converts.
I used to make it with conventional ingredients, but now I make it with my raw milk – and yes, the milk cooks in the process, but as it’s grass-fed, non-homogenized and did not go through the pasteurization process originally, it’s so much better for you.
I use raw milk, organic sugar, pastured eggs, grass-fed butter, and organic rice – I like to use sushi rice because it results in an even creamier pudding than with long grain white rice; arborio rice would work, too, I bet. I do wonder if maple syrup would be a good replacement for the sugar; I’ll have to try that next time.
Rice Pudding
Dessert is something I love, and although I’m severely reducing my sugar intake, I’d be sad to completely abandon dessert. I’m constantly looking for options that do not wreck havoc on my system, and that are relatively healthy while being delicious. This pudding works for me – it’s made with top notch ingredients and is very rich, so a little goes a long way. It’s also a wonderful dish to share with others – rice pudding is so comforting.
1/2 c. organic white rice (long grain or sushi, not instant)
1 c. water
1 qt. milk (4 cups)
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
3 pastured eggs
1/2 c. evaporated cane juice or rapadura
1 c. raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon
Pour rice slowly into rapidly boiling water in large pot. Don’t stir.
Cover tightly and cook exactly 7 minutes. Water should be absorbed for the most part.
Add milk and butter. Stir a little.
Bring mixture to a boil, cover and cook slowly over a low flame for 1 hour.
5 minutes before the hour is up, beat eggs, add sweetener and vanilla.
Temper egg mixture by mixing a little bit of the hot milk and rice in with the eggs. Pour mixture into rice, stirring slowly until rice starts to thicken. Add cinnamon to taste. Can be enjoyed either warm or cold.
