Arroz con Leche (Spanish Milk-Rice Pudding)
Why I Love This Recipe
When I lived in Spain, I had Arroz con Leche regularly, but when I came back to the States, I knew I wouldn't be able to find it anywhere. So, I searched online, cobbled together a recipe from several Spanish sources I found, and practiced with it a bit until I came up with something I liked. All the Spanish recipes are in the metric system, so I had to convert them.
Ingredients You'll Need
just under 4 c milk
just over 1 c rice (I use Jasmine rice - the consistency/texture comes out much smoother than regular long-grained rice, which can get a bit crunchy. I haven't tried short-grain rice yet.)
just over 2/3 c sugar
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
entire peel from 1 lemon, cut into 10-15 pieces
powdered cinnamon (to taste)
Directions
Add just enough water to cover the rice. Cook on the stovetop until all water is absorbed (~5 mins)
Add milk, cinnamon stick (if desired), and lemon peel pieces. Bring to a light boil.
After about 10 minutes of boiling, add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Continue cooking 5 minutes or so, until the pudding has thickened. Scoop out a few grains of rice and taste them to see if they're done. If the rice is done and the pudding is thick enough for you, it's done.
Remove cinnamon stick (if used). I usually leave the lemon peel in to continue adding flavor, but you can remove that, too, if you'd like.
Pour into individual serving dishes/bowls. Dust with powdered cinnamon while still warm. Once it's begun to cool and harden, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until cold and set. Serve cold.
