Baked Rice Pudding

I keep forgetting how simple this dessert is;  but so good.  I use to have to make this when my oldest came home from Uni  - if I made it in the morning by night is was gone!   You can serve it warm or cold and for added luxury I put a spoon of brown sugar on top.
There are a few different ways to make rice pudding; but i prefer the baked.  It takes longer but is worth the wait.  This is from an 1974 printing of a Betty Crocker cookbook,  so it qualifies as one of my "old" cookbooks.  Betty still knows what she is doing.

Just out of the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Use a bake proof casserole dish (Pyrex works good) no greasing necessary.  Find a large circumference baking pan that the casserole dish can sit in  when baking.  In this baking pan you will add 1 inch of hot water.  I boil my tea kettle and pour the water in the outside baking pan to the right height.


Step 1:
In small saucepan that you have a lid for - 1/2 cup any uncooked rice + 1 cup water.  Do not substitute instant rice, that is another recipe.  Boil and then turn heat down to low and put on the lid.  Cook and stir for about 12 minutes.   Water will be evaporated and rice swollen.  Remove from burner.


Step 2:
Need 2 medium sized mixing bowls.
In the first bowl  add 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch + a dash of salt
In the second bowl add 2 egg yolks (separate the whites and keep in freezer for use in another recipe).  With hand mixer whip the egg yolks till frothy just a minute or two.  Add 2 1/2 cups of milk and beat for minute.
Now add bowl 1 to bowl 2 and beat till mixed.
By hand add the rice + 1 tbsp lemon juice + 1/2 cup raisins.


Step 3:
Pour mixture into a large baking casserole dish.  Set into water pan in oven.  Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.   About 3 times you will want to give the dish a stirring.  By the end it will be very creamy.   Remove from oven and let dish rest on raised holder.   Sprinkle top of dish with cinnamon.


Step 4:
Eat and be happy.  :)