When I was about ten, my grandma decided she couldn't afford to give all of her grandchildren presents anymore. But before she stopped, she gave us all one last gift. I still have it. It sits on my window sill and is a little faded and dusty.
You wouldn't think a ten-year-old would appreciate such a gift, but I did. I loved my grandma and I also had a budding love for cooking. I added other favorite recipes now and then, but none were as precious as those in my grandma's hand.
Nowadays, I don't use the recipe box as much as I used to. Most of my favorites are typed and in binders or stored in digital form on my phone. But every once in a while I dig around in my recipe box and bring out a memory like this one.
This card isn't one of the originals Grandma gave us. I asked her to write it up for me a few years after I was married. By then, I'd discovered my husband's loathing of rice pudding, and I'd hoped to convert him with Grandma's recipe. It's not a cooked-on-the-stove pudding. It's baked so that the texture is firm and custardy.
Serve it warm or cold.
As dessert
Or breakfast.
Try topping it with some fruit, with or without milk, like a hot cereal.
It's delicious.
Grandma's Rice Pudding
| 3/4 cup rice |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk |
| 1 tablespoon butter (melted, if using cold rice) |
| 1 lightly beaten egg |
| 1 teaspoon nutmeg |
| 1 cup sugar |
| 1 cup milk |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
Cook rice with water as directed on
the package, adding 1/2 teaspoon salt. When rice is nearly done and
water is absorbed, place the rice into a one or two quart baking dish.
Add the remaining ingredients, stir together, and bake at 350 degrees
for 50-55 minutes.
