Michelle Darmody: How to bake the classic rice pudding — and mistakes to avoid

The classic rice pudding

Rice pudding is like a big hug in a bowl, for me it is the ultimate winter comfort food. 

I love adding a spoonful of cherry or raspberry compote, it adds wonderful colour, but also a tartness that offsets the rich, creaminess of the pudding. 

Rice pudding can be made in a pot on the stove top, but I prefer the baked version. When it is baked it gets a crisp golden crust on top. 

Either method takes a little patience as the starches in rice release over time, which creates the soft texture of the pudding.

I have had an ice cold, fragrant version of this dessert on a trip to India and the delicate flavours have stayed with me. 

I still can picture myself sitting in a blue walled cafe overlooking the Ganges river and the owner bringing me a bowlful of creamy rice topped with pistachio nuts and rose petals. 

Once I spooned the rice into my mouth I was hit with a subtle blend of rosewater and cardamom. 

In India this dish is called Kheer and is made with basmati rice or tapioca pearls. 

I was served another version on another day with fronds of saffron stirred through it, which made the most glorious colour as well as flavour, this version was topped with freshly chopped almonds, delicious.

Rice pudding

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Rice pudding is like a big hug in a bowl, for me it is the ultimate winter comfort food.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 40 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 50 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 125g pudding rice

• 55g golden caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp powdered cinnamon

• 820mls milk

• 170mls cream

• ½ tsp powdered nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160ºC/gas mark 3 and set aside an ovenproof dish that holds about one half litres in volume.

2. Stir the rice, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, milk and cream together and pour the mixture into your ovenproof dish.

3. Sprinkle the nutmeg on top.

4. Place the dish into the center of your preheated oven.

5. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the rice is cooked through.

6. Allow to cool slightly before scooping out to serve.

Baker's tips

• If you would like to prevent your pudding sticking to the ovenproof dish you can rub butter onto the inside of the dish before adding the mixture of ingredients.
• You can use risotto rice such as arborio if you can not get hold of pudding rice. It is a little more expensive and will not soften in the same way but it does give a nice result.
• If you find rice pudding to be very sweet the addition of some orange zest can offset that. Make the recipe as is and add the zest of half an orange.
• If your rice pudding has still ended up runny, it is likely that it was not baked for long enough, the starch needs to be released as well as the rice needing to soak up the liquid. To prevent this check if the pudding is still slightly wobbly after the allotted time, it may need a little longer to bake through. Leave it in the oven but check on it regularly. I would suggest checking at five minute intervals.
• If your rice pudding has ended up too dry you can serve it with a drizzle of cream and bake it less next time.
• You can use dried cranberries instead of the raisins they plum up along with the rice. I like to add some green cardamom pods as well. Their flavour spreads throughout the pudding.
• Rice pudding can also be served cold.
• To store your pudding, allow it to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat until piping hot in an oven or microwave.
• The pudding can be frozen once cooked but it is important to cool it and freeze it within about an hour of baking. You can freeze it in portions or as a whole dish. Defrost it in the fridge overnight and then reheat until piping hot.

Three delicious variations

Citrusy rice pudding

In place of the cinnamon and nutmeg add the zest of a lemon and the zest of two oranges to the pudding mixture.

Coconut and cherry rice pudding

For this version I use the same volume of coconut milk (from a tin) as the milk and then in place of the cream I use 170mls of coconut cream. 

For the top you can sprinkle some desiccated coconut halfway through baking instead of the nutmeg. 

I love this version with a handful of dried sour cherries stirred through the mixture at the beginning of the process.

Pedro Ximinez rice and raisin pudding

Add two tablespoons of Pedro Ximinez sherry and a tablespoon of golden raisins to your ingredients in place of the powdered cinnamon. 

The raisins add tasty bursts of fruity flavor while the sherry adds a nutty sweetness.