rice pudding

One of my favorite desserts to make at home is rice pudding, because I can easily watch it on the stovetop while I'm prepping other items for dinner. Since most of us have rice, honey, and milk on hand, it's possibly the tastiest way to clean your pantry. Although many rice puddings call for arborio or other short-grained Italian varieties, try the longer-grain jasmine for less starchiness. Jasmine rice will not only maintain its texture, but it also has a wonderful aroma. To ensure the pudding is smooth rather than sticky, rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking it. See a basic jasmine rice pudding recipe as well as one that's more complex in flavor when you read more

During a recent endeavor to make peach rice pudding popsicles, I loved the rice pudding so much (a good amount of it wound up in my stomach instead of the freezer!) that I decided it was time to make a batch.

Enter this rice pudding recipe, which highlights all the freshest Summer fruits. It's comfort food to the max, with a glutinous bite and creamy, vanilla undertones. Make sure you keep the saucepan at arm's length and stir the rice continuously. I got distracted watching the Olympics, and my saucepan overflowed on me! To get this simple recipe, read more

I'm not the only one obsessed with Popsicles; so is Krystia Castella, the author of the recently released Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone. The book is full of frozen delights, but I was completely intrigued by her recipe for rice pudding Popsicles. For a Summer twist, I replaced the raisins and orange zest with fresh local peaches to complement the creamy and cinnamony rice pudding. I truly enjoyed the flavor of these Popsicles, however, the frozen grains of rice were slightly chewy and interfered with the otherwise smooth texture. During the next heatwave, I'll experiment with pureeing the rice pudding for a more horchata-like consistency. To learn how to make these delicious and original Popsicles, read more

Couscous is a staple common to North African cuisine. Instead of serving it as a savory part of my dinner menu, I decided to use it to make a sweet dessert. Most people have had rice or bread pudding, but the majority of my guests have yet to experience couscous pudding.

This variation is made with fluffy whipped cream, sautéed bananas, and fresh pineapple. This type of dessert is ideal for a dinner party because it can be made well in advance. To take a look at the recipe, read more

My dad's birthday is on Friday, and instead of baking him a cake I'm making a big bowl of rice pudding. He's currently all about foods that remind him of the old days — life before I became a raging foodie maniac — meatloaf, chicken in a bag, hard shelled tacos, etc. That's why I thought a classic dessert would be a lovely treat. A candle will fit nicely on top of a mound of sweet, creamy rice flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Pair all of that with a happy birthday song and I'm sure he'll call it a great birthday. To make this soothing dessert for your loved ones, read more

On today's date in 1762 - that's 245 years ago - Mary Randolph the first Virginia housewife was born. Technically she wasn't the first Virginia housewife, but she was the first to write about being a proper Virginia housewife. In 1824 she published what some consider to be the first American cookbook, and what all consider to be the first cookbook highlighting Southern cuisine. Appropriately entitled, The Virginia Housewife, Mary subtly discusses the influence of African cooking in the South and started the trend of listing the measurement of each ingredient. She provides information on everything from pickling to making homemade liquors and includes over 20 ice cream recipes! In honor of today being National Rice Pudding day, I've included Mary Randolph's old-school recipe for rice pudding after the break. Get it when you read more