Cozying in - Boozy Rice Pudding

Creamy Brandy Rice Pudding with lightly caramelized persimmons

(In advance I apologize for the quality of the photos - unfortunately I was so tempted to eat the pudding that I didn't really focus on the quality of the photos...!)

The weather suddenly dropped. Yesterday morning was still cool and pleasant, and all of a sudden a cold wall crashed into us! So we've been cozying up under blankets and finally switched the heat on...

Our house is, like almost all houses in Japan, not properly insulated - there is a terrible cold that cuts through the house. But next week we'll go shopping for some proper winter curtains and perhaps one or two of the "gizmos" available in the shops to cut the draft in the house.

But with some left over rice and some persimmons in the house, what better way to cozy up than with some rice pudding?

Delicious persimmons

So here is the recipe;

For the rice pudding:

1 - 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
1/4 cup sugar
1 lemon (grated rind as well as lemon juice)
2 cups milk
Vanilla (I used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup whiskey
ground cinnamon and cloves (to taste - I added 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon clove)

• In a sauce pan, mix sugar, milk, vanilla, whiskey and the egg.
• Over a low heat gradually bring the milk to a simmer.
• Add the lemon rind and, while briskly stirring, add the lemon juice, allowing the milk to curdle.
• Add the ground cinnamon and cloves and thoroughly mix it with the curdled milk.
• Add the rice to the sauce, and heat thoroughly.

For the persimmons:

1 cup of brandy

1 large persimmon, peeled and sliced into chunks

1/4 cup sugar

• Over low heat, in a saucepan, add the sugar, brandy and persimmons and bring to a slow boil.
• Allow to simmer for 15 minutes until the whiskey and sugar slightly caramelizes.
• (Optional: add an extra dash of brandy and set alight to flambé)

Add the persimmons and the whiskey-sauce on top of the rice pudding and serve warm.

Golden persimmons! 

So tell me what you think if you tried this recipe! 

Do you like rice pudding? Or what do you do with leftover rice?

Until next time!