Simple Stovetop Rice Pudding

This is one of Bart’s specialty desserts. He has always loved rice pudding. He used to buy boxed mixes for it. Then he discovered how simple (and how much better) it is to make it from scratch. Bart made and garnished the rice pudding pictured. He likes to try the variations as well.

2 cups water
1 cup long-grain rice (don’t use an aromatic rice like basmati or jasmine)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups whole milk (lowfat milk can be substituted)
2/3 cup sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the rice and salt. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the water is almost fully absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Microwave the milk until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the hot milk and sugar into the rice and bring to a slow simmer. Cook, uncovered and stirring often, until the mixture is thick and a spoon is just able to stand up in the pudding, about 45 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Let the mixture cool slightly before serving or refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours, and serve cold. (We like to eat it warm, too.)

Variations:
• Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Dried Fruit: Stir ½ cup dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, or chopped prunes or apricots) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon into the pudding with the vanilla extract.
• Rice Pudding with Cardamom and Pistachios: Stir ½ teaspoon cardamom into the pudding with the vanilla extract and sprinkle with 1/3 cup toasted chopped pistachios just before serving.
• Rice Pudding with Orange and Toasted Almonds: Stir 2 teaspoons grated orange zest into the pudding with the vanilla extract and sprinkle with 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds just before serving.