Friday, April 2, 2010

Dulce de Leche Rice Pudding






Dulce de Leche and rice pudding--how much more comforting can a dessert get? Dave is a rice pudding devotee, and I'm always looking for new recipes to make him.

I made the Dulce de Leche myself from sweetened condensed milk, but you can now buy it pre-made in grocery stores. Or, you can make Alton Brown's homemade version from regular milk and sugar. Here's the recipe.

I added some extras to the pudding--raisins, pistachios, and walnuts. The crunchy nuts complimented the creamy rice perfectly.

This recipe comes from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather--it's a fun book with some neat (and not too difficult) recipes.

Dulce de Leche-Arborio Rice Pudding

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup milk
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 vanilla beans, split in half, seeds scraped and saved
3 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

For the garnish (optional):
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/3 cup dulce de leche

To make the pudding: Coat a 5 to 6 cup oven proof casserole or souffle dish with cooking spray.

Remove the paper wrapper from the can of sweet milk. Use a can opener to make two small punctures on the opposite sides of the top of the can. Set the can of milk in a medium saucepan, puncture side up. Fill the medium saucepan with water to reach 2/3 of the way up the sides of the can. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to boil over high heat. Lower the heat until the water simmers. Simmer the milk about 1 hour. Check the saucepan periodically, adding water to ensure that the water level does not drop below halfway. A bit of milk may seep out of the small holes in the can. Cook until the milk pooled on top of the can has turned a deep golden brown. (DO NOT attempt to boil the can of sweet milk without making holes in the top of the can--the can may explode.)

Remove the can from the simmering water using a pot holder or tongs (it will be very hot). Open the can carefully and use a rubber spatula to spoon 1 cup of the cooked milk into a measuring cup (save the rest to use in the topping), it should have a pudding like consistency.

Bring the rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander, pour back into a saucepan and add milk. Cover and simmer the rice 20-25 minutes, until the milk is absorbed. Transfer the rice to a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 325F. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and brown sugar until smooth. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream, 1 cup dulce de leche, and vanilla bean pods and their seeds to a boil. Remove the pods.

Whisk 2 tablespoons of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture (introduce the hot mixture slowly, or the yolks may begin to curdle). Pour the rest of the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in the amaretto. Add the cooked rice and mix to combine.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is browned and a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out almost clean. (The pudding may look a little wet on top.)

To make the garnish: Arrange the almond slivers on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown.

Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/3 cup dulce de leche, and beat until incorporated.

Serve the pudding warm or at room temperature, topped with the whipped cream and the almonds.

3 comments:

  1. This rice pudding sounds really good...arborio rice and amaretto...yummy!! I can't wait to try this. Peace, Stephanie

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  2. Oh my gosh, that looks so delicious, especially with all the raisins! I haven't had nuts in rice pudding, but they sound like a great addition.

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  3. This looks so delicious! Love DDL...

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