Bake the Book
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It's always a treat when you can combine tart and sweet elements in one dessert. This rice pudding from Southern Living: Classic Southern Desserts does just that. Creamy rice pudding and sweet white chocolate blend well with a citrusy cherry sauce.

Reprinted with permission from Copyright © 2012. Published by Oxmoor House. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • For the Pudding
  • 1 1/2 cups hot water
  • 3/4 cup medium-grain rice
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 cups half-and-half
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate morsels
  •  
  • For the Dried Cherry Sauce
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
  • 2 cups Merlot
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Procedures

  1. White Chocolate Rice Pudding: Combine water and rice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

  2. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan. Stir seeds, pod, sugar, half-and-half, and salt into rice. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove vanilla bean pod. Add white chocolate morsels, stirring until melted. Let cool 5 minutes.

  3. Spoon rice pudding into 8 individual serving dishes. If not serving immediately, cover and chill. When ready to serve, top with Dried Cherry Sauce, and sprinkle with almonds.

  4. Dried Cherry Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, 27 minutes or until sauce coats a spon and is reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.