There are hundreds upon hundreds of ways to make rice pudding, but none ever come close to my mother's version. Creamy and thick, as every rice pudding should be, her Arroz con Leche, as we call it, features rice that retains its bite and is never too mushy.
It's made extra special by cinnamon and vanilla that she brings back herself on every trip to her home country, Nicaragua. It is an incredibly easy desert to make, both decadent and comforting, and most importantly, damn good.
Ingredients
One and a Half Cups White Rice
Three Cups Water
Cinnamon Stick
One 14oz. Can of Sweetended Condensed Milk
One and a Half Cups of Milk
One Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract
Method
1. Rinse rice, then soak in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Drain rice, then combine with four cups water and cinnamon stick in sauce pot and boil until cooked, about 20 minutes. Keep a close eye, and stir every once in a while to ensure rice doesn't stick to bottom of pan. Also note, rice should never completely dry and should stay at a soupy consistency.
3. Pour in milk, can of condensed milk and vanilla extract and stir.
4. Let simmer on stove top for another 15 minutes.
Let the rice pudding cool and serve with a sprinkling of grated cinnamon over the top.