I made a rookie mistake with the first batch of this rice pudding.
I guesstimated the appropriate flame strength on our gas stove, only to find that it wasn’t quite low enough to keep the milk from curdling. The milk solids separated from the liquid, resulting in an unsightly gloppy mess.
Not good.
Pudding-making 101: do not let the milk curdle! Stoves can be temperamental and can certainly differ from one to the other, so be sure to watch the pudding carefully while it is cooking.
You can learn from my mistakes ;).
Not to be deterred, I gave the pudding another go… and succeeded the second time around. The pudding cooked over a very low flame until the milk reduced to a thick and creamy consistency, the rice became pleasantly chewy, and the fresh juicy blueberries began to burst.
I stirred in a generous dollop of all-fruit (no added sugar) blueberry preserves for additional berry sweetness as well as a squirt of freshly squeezed lemon juice for a touch of bright acidity.
I had envisioned the color of the finished pudding to be a more vibrant hue, but the muted lavender is probably more appetizing than a bright blue would be anyway. After all, we do eat with our eyes first!
I really love rice pudding. Regardless of the time of year, I find the chewy creaminess to be incredibly satisfying and comforting. I prefer this particular rice pudding cold, straight from the fridge.
If you’re looking for a crunchy textural addition, toss on some toasted sliced almond – they go superbly well with blueberries!
As with my other brown rice puddings, I’ve been enjoying this blueberry version both as dessert and for breakfast. I bet it would be awesome topped with a drizzle of warmed peanut or almond butter… namely Vanilla Bean Coconut Peanut Butter!
Blueberry Brown Rice Pudding
Printer-Friendly Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice, such as Lundberg Organic Brown Sweet Rice
- pinch of salt
- 3 cups organic 2% milk (can sub in non-dairy)
- 2 Tbsp brown rice syrup
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, (about 1 pint) preferably organic
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp all-fruit blueberry preserves, such as St. Dalfour
Directions:
- Combine water, rice, and salt in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, stir once, and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed (rice will continue to cook in the milk mixture, so you want the rice slightly undercooked at this point).
- Place rice in a bowl, and set aside.
- Add milk, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often to prevent the milk from scorching. Once bubbles start forming on the top (but not to the point of bursting), reduce heat back down to low.
- Stir in the cooked rice and blueberries. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently. Watch to make sure milk doesn’t curdle; the mixture should be steaming, but not bubbling. If a “skin” forms, just stir it back into the pudding. Simmer until the milk cooks down, the rice is creamy, and the blueberries have begun to burst, about 35-40 minutes. NOTE: It is especially important to tend to the pudding towards the end of the cooking time. Do not walk away from the stove, or your pudding will burn.
- Transfer rice pudding to a large bowl, stir in the lemon juice and blueberry preserves, and let cool to room temperature. Pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. For best thickening results, refrigerate pudding until well-chilled.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
214.1 calories, 2.6 grams fat, 1.2 grams saturated fat, 2.5 grams fiber, 20 grams sugar, 4.8 grams protein
