Recipe: Crock Pot Rice Pudding (no eggs, infused with spices, with variations, Martha Stewart)

RICE PUDDING

"Rice doesn't benefit from the heat of the slow cooker - it doesn't hold its texture properly and the grains don't stay intact. For the same reasons, the slow cooker is excellent for making rice pudding (or its cousin, congee)."



"Medium- or short-grain rice works best for this dessert."

Unsalted butter, melted, for slow cooker
6 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
Pinch coarse salt
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cup medium-grain rice, such as Arborio
Fresh fruit, such as raspberries, for serving (optional)*

Brush the insert of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with melted butter and preheat the slow cooker.

Combine milk, vanilla bean and seeds, sugar, cinnamon, salt and cardamom pods in a saucepan, and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat; stir in rice. Remove vanilla bean and cardamom pods.

Transfer mixture to the slow cooker. Cover and cook until rice is tender, 1 3/4 to 2 hours on high (or on low for 3 to 4 hours), stirring after 1 hour.

Serve rice pudding in bowls, topped with fruit (if using) and cinnamon.

VARIATIONS:
Infusing cinnamon and cardamom in rice pudding from the outset adds hints of warm and wonderful flavor. Try experimenting with other flavoring agents, including finely grated orange or lemon zest almond extract or rum-soaked golden raisins. Afterward. garnish servings with fresh fruit chopped almonds or other nuts, toasted coconut flakes, or honey.

Makes 6-8 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker by Martha Stewart