Mexican Rice Pudding (arroz Con Leche)

I bear my testimony that there is no joy to be found in all this world like that of sweet communion with Christ. I would barter all else there is of heaven for that. Indeed, that is heaven. As for the harps of gold and the streets like clear glass and the songs of seraphs and the shouts of the redeemed, one could very well give all these up, counting them as a drop in a bucket, if we might forever live in fellowship and communion with Jesus.

C.H. Spurgeon

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Dairy, Eggs	Mexican		1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2		Inches cinnamon stick
		A 2" strip of lime zest
		3/4 " wide
1	c	Rice
1	qt	Milk
3/4	c	Sugar
1/4	t	Salt
4		Egg yolks
1/2	t	Vanilla extract
1/4	c	Raisins
1	T	Unsalted butter
		cut into bits
		Ground cinnamon, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

The rice.  Bring 2 c water to boil in med saucepan, add cinn stick  and
lime zest, cover and simmer over med heat for 5 min. Pour in  rice, let
mix return to boil, stir once, then cover and cook over  med-low heat
for 20 min, until all the liquid is absorbed and the  rice is tender.
The pudding. Stir in milk, sugar, and salt and simmer  over med to
med-low heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid shows  the FIRST
signs of thickening, 20-25 min. Take from the heat and  remove the cinn
stick and zest. Beat the egg yolks until runny, stir  in the vanilla
and a few T of the hot rice, the stir yolk concoction  back into the
rice mixture, Mix in HALF the raisins, then spoon the  rice pudding
into a decorative 8"square baking dish. Browning and  finishing the
pudding.  Preheat the broiler and dot the rice pudding  w/butter.  Set
the dish under the heat long enough to brown the top,  3 or 4 min.
Sprinkle with remaining raisins and the ground cinnamon,  and serve
warm or at room temperature.  COOK'S NOTES:  Timing and Advance
Preparation The rice pudding can be ready in an  hour, much of which
won't involve your direct participation. It may  be prepared through
Step 2 a day or two in advance, then buttered and  broiled shortly
before serving.  Historical Notes:  Arroz con leche  This dessert is
softer and more connamony than our baked rice  pudding. The flavors are
simple and close to home, but it's easy to  develop a thoroughgoing
love for it, spoonful after spoonful. mexican  people everywhere serve
it as regularly as they do flan; it's creamy  and, in its own way,
light and soothing.  This is an especially pretty and tasty recipe,
based on one from  Zelayaran's Las 500 (quinentos) mejores recetas de
la cocina  mexicana. (The 500 best recipes of the Mexican Kitchen).
Pronounced:  Lahs keen-yen-toes may-hor-ays ree-setahs day lah
ko-cheenah  may-hi-kaanah. It would be welcome after a hearty soup like
Menudo  (may-noo-doe) or Shrimp-Ball soup; it travels well to potlucks.
Leftovers, thinned with milk and warmed, are very good for breakfast.
Rice pudding brings to my mind the volatile, chancy crowd of Mexico
City's Garibaldi Square, where this dessert, only one of the
attractions, sits in huge, milky masses stuck with a raisin or two  for
decoration. Or sometimes I am reminded of the well-used walkways
around the Oaxacan (wah-hock-can) market, where ladies sell it in
paper cups at sundown. Or I picture any of a dozen other typical
scenes: from rude, makeshift street stands to well-appointed
traditional restaurants-where arroz con leche (air-rose cone  letch-ay)
(roll those double R's baby) is the thing you have.  Above text quoted
from Authentic Mexican by the Baylesses.  holly "Holly D. Iles"
<holly@bga.com>  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at
www.synapse.com/~gemini

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