I am an old fashioned girl and the things which bring me the most pleasure in life are simple things and ordinary pleasures. That goes for the way I choose to live my life, dress, keep my home and, most especially, with the things which bring me joy when it comes to food . . . cooking and eating.
A simple rice pudding falls well within the realms of what brings me lots of pleasure . . . simple, milky . . . a nursery type of food. Comfort food at its very best . . .
This version is a tad bit fancier than the usual in that it boasts a simple flapjack topping. Now you North Americans might be a bit confused by that terminology. We are not talking about pancakes here, but about a very British, very delicious oatmeal square/slice that is chewy, sticky and sweet with golden syrup.
Very moreish with a nice hot cuppa. I have several recipes for them on here, which you can find here. Scrumdiddlyumptious! (To say the least!)
The pudding itself involves very few ingredients, some pudding rice (short grained), a bit of sugar and milk, with a dotting of butter. You might think that it sees like a very tiny amount of rice, but trust me when I say it is the perfect amount!
As you can see it thickens very nicely. There is also not a lot of sugar, which is a good thing . . . .
You don't need a lot of sugar in a rice pudding, and let me assure you, that golden flapjack topping is plenty sweet enough!!
You will want to bake it in a shallow baking dish, so that there is plenty of surface to spread the topping over, so that it cooks up perfectly . . . and crispy oaty beneath the grill.
This really is a most gorgeous pudding! Todd had seconds, and I found myself sneaking tiny spoonfuls every time I went past it in the kitchen, even after it was cold . . . yes, I am a very naughty girl . . .
I always find it quite magical the way a few simple ingredients, put together properly, can create something so delicious as this pudding.
I shouldn't be surprised really . . . just look around us. We are surrounded by beautiful things that are quite simple really . . . and yet not so simple . . . baby toes, rose petals, a robin's spring song, the loving nudge of a wet nose from a beloved furry family member . . .
In any case you need to make this pudding. I think in North America you can get Golden Syrup online and if you can't find it, you can use corn syrup in it's place. Golden syrup does have a lovely caramel like flavor however, so if you can get it, I highly recommend.
Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding
Yield: 4Author: Marie RaynerA delicious simple and comforting rice pudding with a fabulous Flapjack Topping
ingredients:
- 50g pudding rice (short grained like aborio) (1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS caster sugar
- 600ml whole fat milk (2 1/2 cups)
- 1 TBS butter
- 25g porridge oats (1/3 cup)
- 100g golden syrup (1/3 cup)
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Buter a 1 litre/2 pint shallow oven proof dish really well. Set aside.
- Rinse the rice under cold water. Dry well with paper towels. Sprinkle over the bottom of the buttered dish. Sprinkle the sugar over all. Pour the milk on top and dot all over with little bits of the butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, until just golden brown and thick. Remove from the oven and preheat the grill/broiler.
- Gently heat the golden syrup and oats together, just until the syrup thins out a bit. Drizzle evenly over top of the rice pudding and then pop under the heated grill for about 5 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving.
If you only make one dessert this weekend, make it this one. You will really be happy that you did! Trust me on this!
