Recipe: Milk pudding

Taken from Helen's internet cookbook of british cooking. Have tried her recipe collection and and she never failed me.

=================================================
Milk Puddings

"There’s nothing nicer than a lovingly made milk pudding made with creamy fresh milk. Opt for rice, tapioca, sago or semolina, whichever you have. The method is easy for all of them."

Short-grain white or brown pudding rice, flaked rice or tapioca - 50g (2 oz)
or
Semolina or sago - 40g (1 oz)
Milk - 600 - 900 ml (1-1 pints)
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Butter - 15g ( oz)
Ground cinnamon, mixed spice or nutmeg - tsp

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 170 C / 325 F / Gas 3 if making rice, flaked rice or tapioca pudding. Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4 if making semolina or sago pudding.

If using rice, flaked rice or tapioca, put it in a buttered 1.1 litre (2 pint) oven-proof dish. Pour in 600 ml (1 pint) milk. If using brown rice, add in extra 300 ml ( pint) of milk. Add the sugar and butter. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, mixed spice or nutmeg.

If using semolina or sago, heat the milk in a saucepan until lukewarm, then gradually sprinkle in the semolina or sago, stirring continuously. Add the sugar and butter and continue to cook for 10 minutes, until thickened, stirring frequently. Pour into a buttered 1.1 litre (2 pint) oven-proof dish. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, mixed spice or nutmeg.

Bake rice, flaked rice or tapioca for 2-2 hours (brown rice for an extra 30 minutes). Stir 2 or 3 times during the first hour, but leave for the remaining time to form a crust.

Bake semolina or sago for 30 minutes, without stirring.

Serve hot or cold, plain or topped with fresh fruit, chopped nuts or thick natural yogurt.