Almond Joy Rice Pudding

I'm feeling all cozy and homey right now. I love that hunkered down, cuddled up feeling that this time of year brings. I love wrapping myself up in a blanket and pulling up my thick knee socks. I love digging into the stash of books I've been collecting all summer and fall. I love that it's pie season. Had to throw that in, cause well...PIE!

My list making is going into overdrive. I've got my thanksgiving recipe lists (and folder), I've got Christmas present lists, I've got craft supply lists and the most important of all, I've got my "must make list". It's a little collection of recipes that I kind of pull from a bigger collection of recipes and move to the top. Priorities you know?

My friend Rebecca from Foodie with Family posted this recipe on her Facebook page last week. It was one of those moments where the clouds parted in the sun shined down and my heart screamed hallelujah! I am crazy mad for rice pudding. I also love coconut...and oh yeah, chocolate. I'm a bit crazy for that too. This recipe combined all three. Heaven. I ate this right out of the pot. I'm not ashamed to tell you that. I eat it cold too, but I couldn't wait to eat it. It was lunch for me last Saturday. Lunch never tasted so good.

Don't worry that the coconut water will make this too coconutty, it won't. This made enough for my friend Tati and I to eat. She is a rice pudding lover too. If you love it as much as we do, you may want to double the recipe!

Rebecca has a great recipe for Whipped Coconut Cream. Check out the link for that recipe.



Almond Joy Rice Pudding
recipe from Rebecca - Foodie with Family.
1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 can evaporated milk
Whole milk or half and half
1/2 cup arborio rice
¼ cup raw sugar
vanilla bean, split and scraped
a pinch of salt
shaved or chopped dark chocolate

Optional Toppings:
Whipped coconut cream (see recipe below)
Toasted coconut
Toasted sliced almonds

Pour the coconut milk and evaporated milk into a four cup measure. Add enough whole milk or half and half to measure 4 cups evenly.

Stir together the milk mixture, rice, raw sugar, vanilla bean (both the bean halves and the scrapings), and salt to a medium sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, then lower the heat to medium low and allow it to simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is thickened. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Let it cool several minutes, covered, before transferring to serving dishes.

To Serve Warm 
Top the warm pudding with shaved or chopped dark chocolate, whipped coconut cream, and toasted coconut for Mounds bar pudding or add almonds with everything else for Almond Joy pudding.

To Serve Cold:
Cover the portioned pudding with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Chill for at least an hour (but up to 3 days in advance) before serving. Top the chilled pudding with shaved dark chocolate, whipped coconut cream, and toasted coconut for Mounds bar pudding or add almonds with everything else for Almond Joy pudding.