Natalie of Good Girl Style is here today, and she’s brought an easy dessert that you can make to satisfy your late-winter craving for easy sweets. And you probably have all the ingredients, which means you don’t have to leave the house til spring. Natalie joins us each month to share incredible desserts with Big Girls, Small Kitchen readers–desserts that are entirely gluten-free, but not like obviously gluten-free. That means no specialty flours or hard-to-find ingredients, just good old-fashioned butter, sugar, chocolate, and cream.
Ahh, the dregs of winter. Here we are, staring at mounds of messy, dirty snow, being tempted by moments of sunshine and blue skies. It could give the most cheerful of us a case of the winter blues.
There’s nothing more comforting for a cold late-winter day than a bowl of rice pudding. Warm, creamy, perfectly spiced-and easy to make on the stovetop whenever a craving hits. You can also top this dessert with raisins and/or caramel sauce. So hunker down with a movie and this consoling dessert, and wait it out. Spring will come. And in the meantime, nutmeg, vanilla and Casablanca will be there for you.
**Recipe**
Stovetop Rice Pudding
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 ¼ to 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons. nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large saucepan, combine the rice, 2 cups milk, salt, and nutmeg. Bring all this to a rapid boil over medium-high heat (watch out, it will foam up and get high), stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Keep at a soft boil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and adding the sugar once the rice is tender, about 5 minutes into the cooking time. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk, depending on how creamy you want it, and the vanilla. Cover and let the pudding sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon into dishes and serve warm.
