If there's one thing I know for sure about myself, it's this; I hate winter.
SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is definitely a thing in my mind because, come winter, I go into hibernation.
On Monday I went to head out on my morning walk in my usual shorts and a t-shirt only to be hit with cold air the second I walked out the door. It's okay, I thought... it'll warm up.
Ten minutes later, I'm walking around the park covered in goose bumps... looking at the patches of sun but wondering why on earth I wasn't feeling their warmth and then it hit me...
WINTER IS COMING.
Dread. Pain. Anxiety. For a second there I thought I was going to have a full on panic attack.
If summer was a person, I'd be the one wrapped around it's heels, sitting on it's feet, BEGGING it not to leave me. Forget the promise of returning in 6 months time, DO NOT LEAVE ME!
But then I realised winter was inevitable (and yes I know, autumn comes first.. but in my world it's either summer or winter - also known as time to be a social butterfly or time to forget my own existence) and I tried to think of all the good things about winter.
And then I went home to do what every insane person would do.
I flicked the dial on the oven to heat it up and I made baked rice pudding.
Why? To get a head start on convincing myself that winter isn't really that bad... and I tell you what, friends... if winter involves steaming hot bowls of creamy rice pudding, I'll take it.... for a few months at least 😜
And northern hemisphere friends, don't let me lose you - I can assure you that this tastes delicious cold too... so you can eat it all year long.
So let me share the recipe with you >>
Easy Baked Rice Pudding Recipe serves 4 (small batch)
gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, low fat,
egg free, dairy free, nut free, kid friendly
2 cups milk of your choice (we used unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 cup (50g) coconut sugar or brown sugar (use more if you like things extra sweet)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Optional: 1/4 cup raisins
If needed: 1/2-1 cup additional milk
- Preheat your oven to 160C/320F
- Grease a 4 cup baking dish with butter or oil.
- Add your rice to the bottom of your baking dish.
- Add your sugar and cinnamon and pour over 2 cups of milk and your vanilla extract.
- Cover your baking dish with foil and place in the oven.
- Make for 15 minutes, covered before uncovering and stirring with a spoon or spatula.
- Recover your baking dish and bake for another 45 minutes.
- Uncover your baking dish and check the texture of your rice. If the rice is still very undercooked, recover (adding an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of milk if it's looking quite dry) or if it is just cooked or almost cooked, leave uncovered and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Add your extra milk if your rice pudding is looking quite dry or if you prefer a creamier pudding (see my notes below for an extra creamy tip!).
- Continue baking until your desired consistency is reached, remove from the oven and serve immediately.
- This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days, however, we find it's best eaten fresh as cooling and reheating can give you a mushier texture.
- *We've tried this recipe with all three types of rice and each work perfectly. All you'll need to do is adjust the amount of milk. After it's baked for an hour, check the texture and add an extra 1/2-1 cup of milk if needed
- **If you like your rice pudding extra creamy, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch into your extra 1 cup of milk and stir it through after your rice pudding has baked for an hour. Continue baking uncovered until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If you don't want to bake it well then it's not a baked rice pudding.... but it can be done. Simply take all the ingredients and put them in a medium sized saucepan on the stove. Cooked over medium-low heat until it reaches your desired consistency, stirring regularly.
But tell me, what's your favourite season?
Do you have S.A.D too?
And what's some of your favourite winter warmer recipes?
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