Ginger Rice Pudding with Maple Syrup

Call me old fashioned. But I refuse to buy into all the hype that has become the holiday season. To me, this is the time of year for indulging in great food, great drinks, and great people. I refuse to indulge in the commercialism that has taken over the true meaning of the holidays.

While many are out, battling one another for the best deals, I'll be at home, stationed in my kitchen working on an array of delicious treats.

Today, upon reading this tutorial on The Kitchn, I decided to apply this risotto cooking method to one of my favorite dishes, rice pudding.

Ginger Rice Pudding with Maple Syrup
Serves 4

3-4 cups milk
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup arborio rice
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

In a saucepan, heat milk until hot.

In a skillet with high sides or a small dutch oven, melt the butter over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the rice, ginger, and cinnamon. Saute until spices are fragrant and the rice is thoroughly coated in the butter. The edges of the rice should have turned translucent and the centers should still be opaque. Stir in vanilla and brown sugar. Add the warm milk, 1 ladle at a time. Cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed by the rice before adding another ladle full. After 10 minutes of cooking time, you want to begin to taste the rice to test for doneness. The risotto is done when it is al dente. It should be thick and slow to fill space left when dragging a spatula through it.

Serve while warm, drizzled with 1 tbsp. of maple syrup per serving.