orange rum rice pudding

I had a few oranges left in the fridge and decided to use them up. I could've just eaten them by themselves...but the rum sitting on the counter was too inviting for me to pass up on making rice pudding. Rice pudding is a pretty basic dessert that consists of simply rice, milk and sugar (or some other type of sweetener). Sweet, creamy, velvety, tender and very easy to make. It's similar to a risotto in that you have to babysit it and stir it to prevent the rice from sticking but once you've mastered it, it's so versatile.

This is a perfect dessert for a dinner party as it can be prepared in advance. Simply pour the rice pudding into serving glasses/bowls and chill until you need it for use. Garnish later on with orange segments and a sprig of fresh mint. Orange Rum Rice Pudding...what can be better than fruit and alcohol in a dessert? (actually I can think of a couple right now...LOL)

Orange Run Rice Pudding
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
- 5 cups of milk
- 0.6666 cup Arborio or short grain rice
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and deseeded
- 0.5 cup vanilla sugar (regular sugar is OK)
- 1.5 tablespoon rum
- zest of half an orange
- orange segments and fresh mint sprig for garnish

1) Add milk, rice, vanilla bean seeds and the bean to a pan. Bring up to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. DO NOT WALK AWAY - milk will boil over and leave a mess if left unattended...
2) Stir frequently to prevent rice from sticking and cook for about 25 minutes until rice is tender.
3) Add sugar, rum and the orange zest to the pan. Take out the vanilla bean and cook for 5 - 10 minutes longer until the rice softens even more and the mixture thickens.

Because the pudding thickens up when cooled, I like having mine at the consistency of a risotto. However, you can adjust the consistency to your liking by cooking it more or adding a little more milk if too thick.
4) Pour rice pudding into serving glass/bowls, cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
5) Garnish with orange segments and a sprig of fresh mint.