Salted Vanilla Rice Pudding

breakfast or dessert, you decide

Oct 25, 2024

I don’t know about you but the last quarter of the year always feels a little frantic to me. There’s a constant busyness in almost all areas of my brain; getting work and other projects booked in, mentally preparing for taxes, juggling all the last minute work that flies in, trying to get dates in the diary with everyone before the mad rush of Christmas, checking over that list you wrote at the start of the year to work out what is still even remotely achievable, and trying with all my might not to book a last minute holiday at every minor inconvenience to escape it all. Thankfully, I do have a big trip lined up for January, the thought of which is keeping me going, but until then, my never ending to do list stays looking like the wild wild west.

In the midst of it all, stealing moments to cook or bake something I truly enjoy and look forward to eating is a joy. This can sometimes be an elaborate, time heavy dish that I’ve had my eye on in a new cookbook. Or other times, it’s something as simple as a bowl of rice pudding. And it’s a recipe that I’ll be sharing with you this week.

Rice pudding is my jam. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. From the sloppy portions we’d have at school, to the rice pudding my mum would make with lots of nutmeg, baked for hours until soft and creamy with a paper thin skin formed on top. Even the tinned Ambrosia rice pudding eaten cold from the fridge has a special place in my heart. Whichever way it comes, I adore it. It’s a humble dish that just requires a bit of time but delivers heavily on the cosy comforting vibes that are welcomed as the days get darker and colder.

The version I’ve got for you today is simple and delicious. Plenty of vanilla and a good amount of flaky sea salt. You can serve it with an extra pour of creme anglaise as I often do; this step is absolutely unnecessary but adds a little more richness and once you’re tried it, it’s hard to stop. Or you could opt for a little dollop of jam which always feels particularly nostalgic.

Enjoy!

Benjamina x

COOKIE POP UP

In other news, for the cookie lovers among you, I’m excited to be providing my ginger & white choc cookies at Lucy Rosette’s cookie pop up next week! (Saturday 2nd Nov). If you’re in London, come down (or up) to Leyton and fill up with cookies made by Lucy and guest bakers including myself, Nicola Lamb of Kitchen Projects and one of my South London faves, Toad Bakery. Hot chocolates by Pump Street Chocolate will be flowing and all profits will be going to Action for Children.

Preorder a box to pick up HERE. You can turn up on the day but to avoid disappointment, preorder your cookies and collect them when you arrive!

SALTED VANILLA RICE PUDDING

If a dessert can also double up as an option for breakfast, it automatically gets bonus points. Similarly to how I have my porridge, I like my rice pudding on the simple side with minimal toppings. I don’t want too much going on to distract from the milky, creamy, soft rice.

I typically make this on the stove as it’s a lot quicker than baking and the frequent stirring gives you an unmatched creaminess from some of the starch that gets released. Short grain pudding rice is my go to but I know lots of people use and love arborio (risotto rice) which you can also switch in here without issue.

I’ll happily eat this hot as soon as it’s made or cold the next day. Once it’s been chilled, you’ll need to loosen it up a little before serving. Just mix through some cold cream, milk, or more cold custard.

The flavour of this rice pudding was actually inspired by a collab I saw recently with Jenki Matcha and Condiment Claire. I knew immediately I wanted this in pudding form so here we are!

RECIPE

90g pudding rice
700ml milk, plus 50ml extra to finish
120ml double (heavy) cream
40g sugar
1 vanilla pod, split open and scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

For the creme anglaise:
4 egg yolks
35g caster sugar
250ml milk
200ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

METHOD

Add the rice to a bowl and cover with lukewarm water. Let it soak for 30 minutes before draining. Add the rice to a heavy bottomed saucepan with the milk, cream sugar, vanilla (seeds and pod) and salt.

Bring to the boil whilst stirring frequently before lowering the temperature to a very low simmer. Cook the rice for 40-55 minutes - you’ll need to stir the rice regularly to ensure it doesn't stick.

After 40 minutes, check the tenderness of the rice. Continue cooking until the rice is soft to taste. If it looks like it’s getting really thick but still isn’t cooked, add in a splash of extra milk.

Remove from the heat, take out the vanilla pod, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Pour in the last 50 ml of milk and stir to combine and loosen.(You can add more if you like it runnier) Spoon into bowls and pour over some of the creme anglaise if using.

If you want to serve it cold, after you’ve added in the 50ml milk, let the rice pudding cool to room temp and chill in the fridge.

To make the creme anglaise, add the yolks and sugar to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Add the milk, cream and vanilla to a small saucepan and heat until steaming, just before the boil.

Pour a big splash of the hot milk onto the eggs while whisking. Slowly pour in the rest of the milk and then pour everything back into the saucepan. Heat the mixture gently for about 4-6 minutes over a medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and ensuring it doesn’t come to the boil.

Once the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat, pour it through a sieve and into a jug or bowl. Serve it hot or cold with the rice pudding.