PB Day 7 - Rice Puddin'

You: Hey, Amy...kinda late today, aren't we?

Amy: Well, yeah, sorry about that...you know, joggie-walkie, had to visit my grandma, then church, then finish a cake...you know, the usual stuff.

You: Yeah, but didn't you get up at like 4am? Couldn't you have gotten all this done and posted earlier in the day?

Amy: Dude, have you ever made rice pudding? It's a study in patience. Patience...

Yes, Amy is right. Rice Pudding takes patience. But the reward is mighty, my friend. Mighty.

Let's start with the obvious...there ain't so many rice puddings in my recipe arsenal:

I had to pull out the big dogs: Paula Deen "The Lady and Sons" and my grandmother's "Our Favorite Desserts: Recipes from Home Economics Teachers" ca. MCMLXVII (whatever year that is).

Paula's doesn't involve baking, but I really don't like that she cooks the rice in just water...

There's a few in the Home Ec book, both involve cooking the rice in milk. That has to make them creamier, right? One in particular involves cooking the rice, then baking the pudding...ooooo, long cooking time, let's go for it!

This particular recipe is from Sister Mary Ignatius (wasn't she in a play where she 'Explains It All To' us?), Madonna H.S. (Madonna has a high school????), Chicago IL. From a SISTER, ya'll!! My only experience with nuns comes from "The Sound of Music" and "Sister Act"!! This will be fun!

The Sister tells us that we need a double boiler. Why, that sounds like "Gadget of the Day!"

Yeah, I had to make one. Stock pot with water covered with a glass bowl. My grandma had an actual double boiler, but I swear I never saw her use it.

1/2 cup of rice, 2 cups of milk

And we're going to let it cook...

For a while...

This. Will. Take. Forever. Let's finish decorating that cake...


Okay, about 45 minutes later, I got this:


I even tasted to make sure it was tender. And burnt my tongue.

Add 1/3 cup margarine and 1/2 cup peanut butter...
Turn off the simmering water...But leave it sitting there to melt the peanut butter and margarine...

In another bowl (Hey, Sister...who's going to wash all these dishes???), whisk together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar...

Add two cups of milk and 1 tsp vanilla...whiskie-whiskie-whiskie...

Pour the rice mixture into an oven proof container (I used a bowl, a 9x13 would have been better)...
Then add the milk/sugar/egg mixture and stir.

Put it in the oven at 325 for...? The Sister says "30 minutes until set"...I'm going to go to hell for doubting her...

While we're waiting, let's make a ganache...

Which is a fancy word for chocolate melted in heavy cream. I measured none of this, I just threw it in the pot.

Ok, maybe the oven at Madonna's school cooks things faster...After about an hour I decided it was finally done...

This is also probably due to the fact that I chose a bowl to bake it, a nice glass 9x13 would have worked beautifully...

And with the ganache, we have reached a new level of rice pudding nirvana...Hey, Sister? Should I capitalize nirvana?

Here's the recipe...courtesy of The Sister.

Peanut Butter Rice Pudding

Adapted from Our Favorite Desserts: Favorites from Home Economics Teachers

1/2 cup rice

1 quart milk (divided)

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix rice with 2 cups of milk in top of double boiler; cook over hot water until tender. Add margarine and peanutbutter. Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and remaining milk. Stir into the hot rice mixture. Bake in 325 oven for 30 minutes (1 hr if using deep dish) until set.
6 servings.

I brought this to work, and became everyone's favorite employee. Duh.

You make this. You wouldn't want to disappoint The Sister, now. Would you?