- 150g/5oz short grain or pudding rice
- 1.7 litres/3 pints full fat milk
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla syrup (see Top recipe tip below)
- 50g/2oz icing or caster sugar
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
- Rinse the rice in cold water to remove the dusty starch from the surface – this will prevent the pudding becoming too thick.
- Place the drained rice in a large saucepan with the milk, sugar and vanilla syrup.
- Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer very gently, stirring every five minutes, for 25 minutes.
- Simmer for five more minutes, stirring slowly all the time to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow 2000ml/3½ pint ovenproof dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and then leave to rest for at least one hour – this will allow the creamy texture to develop.
- Sprinkle the surface of the pudding with sifted icing sugar and serve warm.
- To serve cold, preheat the grill to its highest setting. Sprinkle the cold pudding evenly with caster sugar, using a fine sieve, and place under the grill for 2-3 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then serve.