It’s no secret that we’re both huge dessert-junkies.  It is seldom that there is not something sweet for an after-dinner treat.  What can I say?  I like dessert.

However, neither of our waistlines are shrinking.  In fact, one could probably say the exact opposite is happening.

So… we’ve been trying to slow down on the desserts every night.  Eating dinner later.  A little handful of something as opposed to a huge slice of cake.

It’s been working.  More or less…

But last night the sweet tooth roared.  Rice pudding came to mind and wouldn’t leave.

In to the kitchen I went.

My mom made great rice pudding – she made a Baked Pudding that, even though I have her recipe, can never make quite as good.  Victor’s Aunt Emma also made a great rice pudding.  It’s another one that is not quite as good as the original.  Both are really, really good.  Our memories just see them as being better.

I’m sure it’s because we didn’t have to cook it.  In my case, all I had to do was wait impatiently for it to come out of the oven.  We never let it cool.  Hot rice pudding was the nectar of the rice-gods.

So…  faced with two recipes I knew I couldn’t replicate, I decided to use up some of that coconut milk in the cabinet and the sweetened shredded coconut I bought for the Mother’s Day Coconut Cake.

I went with a pretty basic concept – a coconut custard with rice.

Coconut Rice Pudding

  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • heavy cream

Cook 1 cup rice in 2 1/2 cups water until done – about 20 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, mix sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and cornstarch in large bowl.

Bring milk, coconut milk, and salt to boil. Slowly add about 1/3 of milk to eggs to temper.  Add everything back to saucepan and cook until thickened.

Stir in cooked rice and coconut. Stir in vanilla.

Serve warm.

Refrigerate leftovers, pressing plastic wrap onto surface.

To serve cold, stir in heavy cream to bring it back to a pudding consistency.

Victor claimed it was the best rice pudding I have ever made.  And who am I to argue?!?

It really was good and there’s enough left for a few days worth of dessert-cravings.