One of my earliest memories is of my mother taking me with her to visit a thrift shop run by a Christian order in my old neighborhood. While my mother shopped the wares, the nun that worked there would keep me company and dote on me. I couldn’t understand her – I don’t know for sure if there was a language barrier, or she physically could not articulate words, or maybe it was my extreme youth – but she would gesture to me, and I would try my best to understand. And she would feed me rice pudding. I remember liking it very much. It was white in color, thick in consistency, not very sweet at all, and tasted lovely. I think what makes food taste the best, however, is the care of its cook.
Rice pudding has remained one of my favorite desserts, as it very much reminds me of that time in my life. This rice pudding recipe I’ve created is the quintessential vanilla flavored version, made with cooked rice, milk, and eggs. It seemed simple when it was just an idea in my head, but I ended up going through several test versions to make it to my satisfaction!
Tools and Other Notes
- You will need two pots. One to cook the rice, and a bigger pot to make the rice pudding. I had an easier time using stainless steel.
- Rice. The rice used in this recipe is white basmati rice. Basmati rice is one of my favorite types of rice, and its increased popularity makes it easier to find these days in the supermarket. I’ve heard that rice pudding is best made with short grain rice, but this recipe worked fine, and I think you could also play around with using whatever rice you prefer. It’s just that the cook times and the amount of liquid needed will vary. I will say that cooking the rice in water first definitely makes the pudding process easier, and I would not recommend skipping that step.
- Egg yolks. Egg yolks really do provide a unique richness to many recipes, and this rice pudding is no exception (the addition of egg yolks is what gives rice pudding a custard-y taste). To add the eggs to the pudding, they will need to be tempered. This means bringing the egg yolks’ temperature up first by whisking in a little bit of the hot pudding mixture, and then adding them into the pudding. If you were to just add the egg yolks into the hot pudding mixture without tempering, they would scramble. One tip I’ve discovered that may be helpful: if you’re not sure whether your tempered eggs are actually scrambled eggs, take the tempered mixture and strain it over a clean bowl. You’ll be able to clearly identify scrambled egg among the rice grains remaining in the sieve. If they are not present, proceed.
- Consistency is up to you. Some people like rice pudding very thick, some like a looser pudding. Cook the rice pudding until it reaches the consistency you want.
- Patience. This recipe is working with milk, sugar, and eggs on the stovetop. It will take time to cook, and you will need to closely watch and stir to create the pudding consistency and prevent scorching. But it will be worth it!
- Storage. You can eat this rice pudding warm, but I highly recommend eating it cold. When it is cold, it brings out all the flavor.
Ready, Set, Cook!
Rich & Comforting Vanilla Rice Pudding
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour cook time; 2 hours chill time
Yield: 6 – 8 servings
Ingredients
- 180g uncooked white basmati rice
- 48oz whole milk
- 100g granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- Prepare the rice by cooking according to instructions. If you have cooked rice already, you may skip this step.
- Once the rice is fully cooked, transfer the rice to a larger pot.
- Add the whole milk and sugar to the pot, stirring to combine.
- Gently bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Keep at a simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice pudding reaches desired consistency and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 45 minutes to 1 hour. You may find that as the rice absorbs the liquid, you will need to stir more frequently to prevent scorching.
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks together. Scoop 2 – 3 spoonfuls of the rice pudding mixture into the egg yolks and whisk immediately to combine. This will “temper” or make the egg yolks warm enough to be added back into the rice pudding without getting scrambled.
- Add the tempered egg mixture to the rice pudding and stir immediately to combine.
- Serve warm, or transfer the rice pudding to a container, cover tightly, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled before serving.
- The rice pudding can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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