Milky Rice Pudding

This recipe has to be one of the easiest desserts I've ever made. If not for the fact that I needed to photograph some of the steps, all of the ingredients {all three of them}, could have been mixed in one measuring cup...added to a baking dish, cooked & served. It really couldn't be simpler.
Not only is it simple...but, rice pudding & I have a history.
Dh & I went through a rice pudding stage, years ago...while living in Brooklyn. We had a habit of devouring tubs of locally made Kozy Shack rice pudding.
You know how young couples, in love, will tend to gain weight, after being together some time?
It's the rice pudding. In fact, I consumed so much of the stuff that eventually, the sight of rice pudding made me ill. It's been years since I've had some.
But, this rice pudding is no Kozy Shack {even though I do did love the stuff}. First off, it's warm...straight from the oven...not from the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. Secondly, it milky & creamy...with a texture similar to steel cut oats. This version contains no eggs, so there's no tempering involved {always a nerve racking technique for me}. But, in my opinion, it tastes just as delicious as versions made with them.
The only regret I had in making this was that I didn't quadruple the recipe. It will certainly make four servings for an "after a big meal" dessert. But, if you plan on eating it on it's own...maybe for breakfast one morning...it's more like two servings. Being that this recipe is so easy, I highly recommend making a double {or more} batch. If you do, you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees & greasing a baking dish {or, pie plate} with a generous helping of butter.
Next, pour 2 cups of milk into a measuring cup. If you don't plan on photographing the making of this pudding, just leave it there.

To the milk, add 1/3 cup arborio rice, 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar,

and a pinch of salt. See? It's three ingredients people.

Stir it all together, until it's well combined. Then, pour it into your prepared baking dish.

Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the rice is very tender & most of the liquid has been absorbed. While it's cooking, stir every 10 minutes, or so. Once it's about halfway through it's cooking time, it will begin to form a skin over the top. That's perfectly fine. Every time you stir it, the skin will go away.

When done, give the pudding a stir, divide it into serving bowls & garnish the top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Serve right away.

Milky Rice Pudding

Adapted from The Country Cooking of Ireland, by Colman Andrews
Makes 4 servings

unsalted butter, for greasing baking dish
2 cups milk
1/3 cup arborio rice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
a pinch of salt
ground cinnamon {optional garnish}

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a baking dish, or pie plate.
Add the milk, rice, brown sugar & salt to a mixing bowl, or measuring cup. Whisk, until well combined & pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the rice is very tender & most of the liquid has been absorbed. While the pudding is cooking, stir every 10 minutes, or so. When it nears the end of the cooking time, a skin will form on the surface of the pudding. When done, stir the pudding, divide into serving bowls & garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
Click here for the printable recipe.