The Ultimate Stove-Top Creamy Rice Pudding

Ever feel like no one in your house shares your love of certain foods?  Do you feel all alone when you enjoy these delicious treats.  

I do. *sigh*

There are so many foods that I crave that Brad and the three kids just don't ever want to cross their lips.  Like evah.  I'm talking about roasted brussel sprouts (divine!), cottage cheese with mandarin orange slices on top (yum!), acorn squash (roasted with brown sugar, um ya!) and yes even rice pudding -- the best way to eat rice in my humble opinion.  

These family members of mine hate the thought of rice pudding.  When I mention even its name their noses crinkle, their lips get this puckered look to them and they start shaking their heads in disgust.  Granted two of my small humans hate rice in all it's forms but still.  C'mon!  It's a creamy pudding with vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg that can be eaten cold or warm.  A delight in my mind and palate.  Just not their palates so I will eat all the rice pudding and 'take one for the team'.  I'm a giver, what can I say.

There's just something so awesome about the creaminess of a great rice pudding.  Plus it's a great way to use up leftover rice because I have an uncanny ability to make enough rice to feed a football team instead of the five members of my family.  It's one of my super powers.

I honestly rarely make rice pudding and I'm not sure why because it's quite easy.  I've satisfied my craving by occasionally eating store bought 'Kozy Shack' rice puddings and while that is a nice substitute this recipe beats that brand hands down.  After tasting this pudding I was muttering 'Oh ya.  Now that's good' to myself and had to force myself to stop eating it.  So ... incredibly ... good.

I know that there is one ingredient in this recipe that isn't normally in a typical rice pudding.  Lemon zest.  Sounds a little wonky but do not skip this step.  Trust me on this one!  I'm a huge lemon lover but honestly you can't taste the lemon - it just brings out the other flavours and adds to the overall taste big time.  And don't worry about seeing the lemon zest in your pudding.  You can't see it if you use a micro planer to zest it nice and fine.

I'm not going to push rice pudding on my family because I'm still in hoard mode (my Precious!) and don't particularly want to share the creamy goodness that is rice pudding. I'll just wait until my Mother-in-Law, Mom and Dad get back from Florida and make another batch.  Perhaps by then I'll be ready to share. 

Servings: 4-6 (or one Baking Bookworm over several days)

3 cups cooked rice
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 cup creamer (I used 10%)
2 tbsp butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3-1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 pinches of nutmeg

Garnish: cinnamon

Combine the first five ingredients into a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  You still want it to be a little runny so your pudding doesn't dry out too much as it cools.

Remove pudding from heat and add vanilla, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Sprinkle with more cinnamon, if desired.  Serve warm or cold.  Store leftover pudding in refrigerator for up to a few days.

Inspired by: 'Rockin' Rice Pudding' on Food.com (http://www.food.com/recipe/rockin-rice-pudding-53081)

Note: (recipe originally from - Tyler Florence  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/rockin-rice-pudding-recipe.html)