Coconut Rice Pudding with Pineapple

Hey my friends, I'm back. Not that soon as I promised, though. I don't know what is keeping me from doing anything! May it be Christmas around the corner? May it be my laziness? Or both? I just know that I feel like I have less energy left inside of me these days. I want sunshine or snow. I guess, I simply just need more light.

I know that sugar makes me happy and keeps my energy up! This theory was thoroughly tested during my studies. Oh yeah, I can not even say how much chocolate I ate during every exam term! :) I did not nourish myself with chocolate this time, though. I know I have already posted a recipe for a rice pudding some time ago. However, rice pudding is one of my all time favourite desserts, and I made a lighter version, omitting a double cream, and I used a proper pudding rice.

I got the pudding rice in a local food centre. I was actually quite surprised. I felt like Alice in Wonderland while browsing the shelves full of all kinds of rice, bulgur, polenta, couscous and other yummy stuff. Unfortunately, I could not spent so much time there as P. was not so excited to be in a food kingdom and kept asking me if I got everything I needed. I have to go back alone! :)

I used a pineapple to serve my rice pudding, but it is delicious with any fruit you find at home. I even like it just plain when the pudding is still warm.

Coconut rice pudding with pineapple

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup pudding rice

400ml coconut milk (1 can)

150ml ful fat milk

4 cardamon pods

2 tbsp palm sugar

shredded coconut to serve

unsalted pistachios, chopped

fresh or canned pineapple, diced

1 Wash and drain the rice in a sieve.

2 Heat the coconut milk mixed with the full fat milk and cardamon pods in a small sauce pan over a low heat. Bring to the boil.

3 Add the rice and stir well. Simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all milk is absorbed and the rice is tender.

4 Discard the cardamon pods. Add the sugar and stir well. I usually let the rice stand, covered, for couple minutes before serving.

5 Divide the rice pudding between prepared bowls or glasses and top with pineapple, coconut and pistachios.

Blackberry and apple Yorkshire puddings

Making Yorkshire puddings was a very messy experience for me. Though, these are really easy and quick to make, if you use too much oil as I did, you will end up with a kitchen full of white smoke. Luckily, we don't have fire alarms installed, otherwise they would had been sounding crazily the whole time I was baking my Yorkshire pudding! :) Nonetheless having a hot oil is a key factor in making Yorkshire puddings. Other important thing is not to open a door of a oven during baking.

Luckily for me, after ventilating kitchen and cleaning oven, I tasted one pudding and they were just scrumptious! We ate most of them still warm and we had the rest for a breakfast the other day. I can say that they are great both hot and cold. I especially liked a custard-like inside of these puddings.

Blackberry and apple Yorkshire pudding

makes about 12 small puddings

Ingredients

25 g butter

140g golden caster sugar

4 apples (I used Bramley apples), peeled, cored, cut into bite-size chunks

1 egg white

2 eggs

140g plain flour

200ml milk

150g blackberries

2tbsp oil

1 Preheat oven to 220C.

2 Heat the butter and 100g of the sugar in a pan, add the apples and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly caramelised and just starting to soften. Do not overcook them, they should stay quite firm with a bite left in them. Set aside.

3 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, then whisk in the rest of the sugar, the whole eggs, the flour and the milk. Stir the apples and the blackberries into the batter. Meanwhile add a splash of oil to each hole of your baking tin and place the tin in the oven over a high heat. The oil should be really hot before you pour the batter in.

4 Spoon a large ladleful of batter into each hole. Put the tin in the oven and leave for 15 minutes, without opening the door, until puffed up and golden. The secret here is not to open the door during the baking time, otherwise you loose the height.

5 Remove from the oven and carefully place each pudding onto a plate. You can serve immediately or leave them to cool down.

Childhood memories and Cranberries Coconut rice pudding

I can't believe I have not had rice pudding for soooooo long! Well, I had a ready made rice pudding couple of times. I mean, the one you can buy in any grocery store, but it does not count. What I am talking about is the yummy, lovely smelling home made rice pudding. Yes, that one which my mum made for my brothers and me. It always took infinitely long to get it cooked, from my point of view. I just could not wait to taste it's marvellous creamy taste. I loved it still warm when the smell of freshly cooked rice was strong, and any fruit on top was slightly melting and releasing it's own aroma. My mum usually served rice pudding with fresh apricots during summer and with home made apricot compote during winter, when no fresh apricot were available.

When I am thinking about it, this was a first rice pudding I have made myself! And the best is, it was extremely easy to do. Yes, it is the kind of quick, easy, and very tasty dessert. I have mixed all leftover I found in a fridge, but the result was extraordinary! :) I guess, you can use just a coconut milk if you prefer more coconut flavour, or just a milk if you don't like coconut. As well, you can omit a double cream for a lighter dessert. I have chosen a cranberry sauce to finish the rice pudding, and I have to say, it was a good choice. I like the slightly sour taste of cranberries contrasting with sweet rice.

Cranberries Coconut rice pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice

140ml double cream

160ml coconut milk

220ml milk

3 cardamon pods

2 tbsp palm sugar (jaggery)

cranberry sauce or cranberry jam (better option)

1 tsp shredded coconut, to serve

1 tbsp unsalted pistachios, chopped, to serve

fresh mint, to serve

1 Wash the rice and drain well.

1 In a small pan mix the double cream, coconut milk and milk with the cardamon pods. Bring the mixture to the boil.

2 Add the rice and stir well. Cover and simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the rice is too dry, add a little milk and stir.

3 Discard the cardamon and add the palm sugar. Mix well.

4 To serve, pour 1 tsp of cranberry jam into each glass and divide the rice pudding between them. Top with another dollop of cranberry jam and sprinkle with coconut and pistachios. Finish with the fresh mint leaves. Serve warm or cold.