Rice Pudding

As with trifle, rice pudding is a very english dessert. Comfort food of the highest order! It's yummy with the raisins and a bit of rum cooked in, but another good version is to leave it creamy, un-rummed and un-raisined, add less of the spices than indicated below, and mix in pineapple chunks.

It is especially fun to drop on the pineapple chunks one at a time and make explody noises as they plop into the pudding. Then grip the spoon in your fist and stir vigorously to mix. Making "vooosh-vroom" noises at this point is also helpful.

She who lets her inner child die loses much of the joy to be had in life.

Rice Pudding

Ingredients

3 cups milk
1 large stick cinnamon
dash or two ground clove or nutmeg
or
four whole cloves or a quarter-nutmeg
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
peel of an orange or lemon
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins and/or sultanas OR 1 cup chunked pineapple (optional)
2 tbsp dark or spiced rum (optional)

To Cook:

• Heat milk, cinnamon, and clove/nutmeg in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until milk absorbes the flavor of the spices, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Do not boil.
• Cook the rice. Combine rice, water, and salt in another pot and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Then place the citrus peel on top of the rice and turn down the heat to a breath of flame. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.
• Remove the citrus peel and strain the milk. Stir the milk into the cooked rice.
• Add the sugar and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Add raisins and rum, simmer another 10 minutes. If not adding raisins, cook for 10 minutes more anyway. Total simmering time should be about half an hour, maybe a little less.
• Serve hot. If you are using pineapple, add it now, stirring in or dropping on top. If it is canned, strain before adding.