Almond Flavored Rice Pudding

Rice for dessert, unheard of! Being an Asian or just plain me, I was not accustomed to cooking rice with sugar or milk and eating it as a dessert. Rice to me is commonly served plain with other dishes. Well, I was curious and so I?ve decided to give it a try. On my first attempt, it was so thick and gluey that I can stick a spoon on top of the pudding. After the second and third attempts, it finally comes close to a decent rice pudding---good enough to eat! This version is a simple and delicious alternative to an old-fashioned rice pudding.

Ingredients:

¾ cup short-grain rice, washed and drained

½ cup almonds, chopped

¼ cup brown sugar

1 small piece cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp cinnamon spice)

½ tsp. almond extract

2½ cups milk

¼ cup condensed milk

3 Tbsp. rose or orange blossom flower water (optional)

½ cup dried raisins or currants

4 Tbsp. butter

pinch of salt

ground cinnamon and nutneg for garnishing

toasted slices of almonds for garnishing

Method:

1. Soak rice with some water and a pinch of salt. In a food processor or blender, add the chopped almonds with ½ cup hot water. Process until very fine and strain into a saucepan.

2. Add 1½ cups of water into the saucepan and bring to a boil, then add in the rest of the milks. Drain the rice and add to the milk mixture, together with brown sugar, dried fruits, cinnamon stick and half of the butter, and almond extract. Stir well to mix and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes, adding more milk or sugar if necessary.

3. Continue to cook and stir the rice mixture to prevent burning at the bottom until it becomes thick and creamy. When the rice is of the right consistency, stir in the rose flower water, then season to taste for sweetness.

4. Serve pudding warm with a dollop of butter and sprinkle with sliced almonds, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.