- ¾ cup arborio rice (short-grain rice)
- 2½ to 3 cups whole milk (3.5%), do not substitute low-fat or skim milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 plump vanilla bean, scraped out (use both seeds and hull)
- Pinch saffron threads
- ½ cup plump dried sweet cherries, such as Bing
- In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine all of the ingredients save the cherries. Place the pot over medium-low heat and stir until bubbles break the surface. Reduce the heat to keep the mixture at a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the pudding is thick and creamy, and the rice is tender and soft. Add the cherries during the final 5 minutes of cooking, then serve the pudding immediately in warmed shallow bowls.
- Variation:
- Moroccan-Spiced Rice Pudding with Dates, Orange Flower Water and Honey: Increase the grated orange zest in the master recipe to 1½ teaspoon. Reduce the sugar to ¼ cup and add 1/3 cup flavourful honey. Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom. At the end of cooking, add ½ cup coarsely chopped Medjool dates instread of the cherries, as well as ½ cup finely chopped pistachio nuts or thin strands of Candied Orange Peel, if desired.