Rum Raisin Rice Pudding (a.k.a. Alcoholic Dessert ... Mmmm)

So, I know I said I was going to post the other cake when I did my last post, but I lied.  It wasn't really an intentional lie.  I had planned that it would be my next post.  But I've had a request for a recipe, and the Vanilla Cardamom Pound Cake pictures are still on my fancy pants camera, so those two things combined are the reason that I lied.

Tonight's dinner was Lasagna Cupcakes followed by Rum Raisin Rice Pudding.  I was posting pictures on Facebook during the process and caught some peoples' attention.  One friend commented that they looked good and a change in menu was now in the works.  Another friend added me to a Facebook group called "What's For Dinner."  That's where the recipe request came from and since I was planning on posting it anyway, and my husband is currently asleep on the couch, now was as good a time as any.  So, onward!

Rice pudding is amazingly simple and easy.  I've made it twice in the last few weeks.  I've combined a few ideas from different recipes around the internet, and adapted my own kitchen supplies into this.  The first time I made it, I let the raisins soak for a few hours.  The most recent time, I let them soak for 2 days.  I think my husband would prefer a soak time somewhere in between the two, but they both tasted pretty good to me.

Rough Ingredients:

1 cup of raisins
approx 1/4 cup of dark rum (I used a black spiced rum, and you'll need a little more if you plan on soaking longer)
1 cup white rice (I use Jasmine, though Arborio rice is supposed to work really well)
4 cups of milk/cream mixture (I use powdered non-fat milk in my cooking, so I did 3 cups non-fat, 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1/2 cup almond milk)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick (or sprinkle in some ground cinnamon ... sometimes I do both)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or just a splash, because I don't measure this part)
1 egg, beaten

The first step is to get the raisins soaking in the rum for as long as you want. 

When you're ready to make the pudding, measure out your liquids and combine them with the salt and sugar in a decent sized pot, about 2 qt minimum.  Heat to just below boiling and stir in the rice.  Bring back to a slight bubble, then reduce the heat to low.  Cook uncovered for 30-45 minutes until rice is soft, stirring frequently.

In a bowl, mix some of the hot rice liquid into the beaten egg to temper the egg, then add the warmed egg mixture back into the rice pudding, stirring to mix thoroughly (If you don't temper the egg, you end up with bits of cooked egg in the pudding... It doesn't affect the taste at all though, so if you're like me and you do this, don't worry about it).  Cook for about a minute, then remove from heat.

Add the vanilla and the raisins (with any remaining rum if desired) and stir well.  At this point you can serve it warm, or you can chill it to serve cold.  If you serve it cold, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.

I usually split this into individual serving sizes before refrigeration.

Yum yum... Enjoy and happy eating!