Still in the festive spirit? Kids still home for Easter holidays? Rice pudding is a welcome sweet snack or dessert in many families. This cozy version adds roasted fruit for a warm, cinnamon spicy, citrus infused topping. The fruit and resulting syrup add that next layer of flavour to cut through the comforting creaminess of the rice.
If you are looking for an afternoon snack for the kids or a wholesome dessert, give this colourful pudding a try!
What you need:
For the rice pudding:
1 cup arbario rice
2 tbs butter
3 cups milk (any milk of choice)
1/4 cup honey (or raw sugar)
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean pod or 1 tbs vanilla essence
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 cup cream
For the roasted stone fruit*:
6 firm nectarines, quartered and cored
3 tbs brown sugar
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
20g butter melted
*feel free to substitute for other roast-friendly fruit if you want to - pears and quinces work exceptionally well.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C, fan-forced.
2. Meanwhile, toss the stone fruit with all the other roasting ingredients and arrange in a single layer in a baking dish.
3. Cover the baking dish and pop into the oven. Roast the fruit for about an hour, or until tender. Baste every 10 minutes or so.
4. Whilst the fruit is roasting, make the rice pudding by placing all the rice pudding ingredients, except the cram, into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for a further 20 minutes or so until the rice is al dente and creamy. Once rice is cooked to your likely, switch off the heat and stir in the cream.
5. Serve immediately by dividing the rice pudding into bowls and serving with the roasted fruit and juices.