Dulce De Leche Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is definitely not the prettiest thing to eat or to photograph, but this recipe, earmarked in my Pastry Queen Cookbook for months, is absolutely delicious and decadent. I can't believe it has taken me this long to make!

It does require a decent bit of time to make— a few hour of preparation to make the ducle de leche, cook the rice, make the creamy sauce, and baking the whole thing— but honestly the most difficult part of the process is removing the can of sweetened condensed milk can turned to dulce de leche from the simmering water. I first tried using tongs, the can slipped, and I got scalding hot water on my hand. I screamed very loudly and woke Dustin and Bonnie from a nap. A rubber oven-safe glove ended up being the solution to the problem.

All the trouble was worth it as we sat down to eat this rich and decadent dessert covered with toasted almonds, cinnamon-sugar, and freshly whipped whipped cream for our second Game of Thrones night party. This was my first time using an actual vanilla bean in a recipe instead of just extract, and just as expected, the vanilla flavor was awesome.

Dulce De Leche Arborio Rice Pudding

slightly modified from the The Pastry Queen Cookbook

Rice Pudding

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Arborio rice
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, seeded and pod saved

Garnish

1 cup heavy cream, cold
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling

To make the dulce de leche, puncture the top of the sweetened condensed milk can. Set the can in a saucepan and fill the saucepan with water until it reaches 2/3 the way up the can. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow the sweetened condensed milk to simmer for an hour or until the condensed milk is golden in color (a little will seep out of the top) and has reached a pudding-like consistency. Check frequently to ensure the water doesn't drop below half way down the can. When done, carefully remove the can (with a rubber oven mitt) and allow to cool slightly.
While the dulce de leche is being made, bring the rice and water to a boil in another saucepan and simmer the rice for 5 minutes. Drain the rice and return it to the saucepan. Add in the milk and bring to a simmer again. Cover the mixture and simmer until the rice has absorbed the milk (approximately 25 minutes). Remove the rice from the heat and transfer to a small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and brown sugar until uniform. At this point you should preheat the oven to 325º and spray a 8"x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk (it says to use 1 cup and reserve the rest for the whipped cream garnish, but we found the sweetened condensed milk reduced to be exactly 1 cup), vanilla seeds and pod to a boil in a saucepan (you can use the one from the dulce de leche making at this point). Then remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the saucepan.
Slowly stir the hot mixture into the egg yolk-sugar mixture by the tablespoon, so the eggs don't curdle.
Add the rice to the bowl and mix, making sure the rice gets completely coated with the creamy vanilla mixture.
Pour into the baking dish and bake for 55 minutes (the top will still look slightly wet).
To create the whipped cream garnish, whip the heavy cream in a bowl with a hand mixer (put the bowl and the beater in the freezer for 30 minutes prior and it will be easier) until the cream thickens and gets fluffy. If your almonds aren't toasted, put them in the toaster oven or in the oven on another rack and bake for 8-10 minutes until fragrant (make sure not to burn them though).
Allow to cool for several minutes before serving in small bowls. Garnish with almonds, whipped cream, and cinnamon-sugar.

The cookbook says you can serve it at room temperature, but everyone who tasted ours agreed hot and fresh from the oven was the way to go! Quite possibly a new favorite!