Posted by Olga 4/21/02 4:57:06 pm

This recipe is thick, creamy and yummy. I like it so much that I double it.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup medium or short grain white rice
4 cups milk
Pinch salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat butter in a 4-quart saucepan. When butter is frothy add rice and cook for a minute.

Slowly add milk, pinch salt, sugar, vanilla, and bring to under a boil.

Transfer to a 9-inch baking pan or casserole and set in oven. Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 hours stirring every 15 minutes.

Then bake undisturbed for 30 minutes. Stir again and cook undisturbed for 30 more minutes. Total time 2 1/2 hours.

Variations: you can add heavy cream in the last half hour of baking. Or if you want a crusty topping, reduce sugar in recipe to 1/4 cup. Once out of oven, crumble brown sugar and butter over rice pudding and run the pudding under the broiler until melted and bubbly.