Sunday 21 January 2007

Rice Pudding by Another Name is Sweeter

The following recipe is one I've made several times, has been a hit every time and is the BEST rice pudding you'll ever have! It comes from a cookbook that I once thought was too fancy and complicated, but once I started trying the recipes most of them turned out to be easy. The cookbook is The New Basics by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins authors of the Silver Palate Cookbook and Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.

Hazelnut Risotto
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup Frangelico liqueur
4 cups milk
5 talbespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Arborio rice (aka: Italian rice--do not substitute this ingredient)
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy or whipping cream

Combine the currants and Frangelico in a small bowl and soak loosely covered for 8 hours or overnight. (Go the overnight route as the currents soak up the Frangelico)

Preheat the oven to 350F

Butter a 3 quart baking dish and pour in the milk. Add the sugar, vanilla and rice. Mix thoroughly.

Bake uncovered stirring every 15 to 20 minutes until rice is cooked and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours.

Drain the currants and stir them into the pudding along with the hazelnuts. Serve hot or chilled with heavy cream drizzled over. (can omit the heavy cream)

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