Cloe's Arroz Con Leche

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cinnamon stick, 2
• 1 lime zest, 2 strip x ¾ - wide
• 1 c rice
• 1 qt milk
• ¾ c sugar
• ¼ ts salt
• 4 lg egg yolks
• ½ ts vanilla extract
• ¼ c raisins
• 1 tb butter, sweet; cut into bits
• 1 ground cinnamon; for garnish

Instructions:

The rice. Bring 2 c water to boil in med saucepan, add cinnamon
stick and lime zest, cover and simmer over med heat for 5 min. Pour
in rice, let mix return to boil, stir once, then cover and cook over
med-low heat for 20 min, until all the liquid is absorbed and the
rice is tender.

The pudding. Stir in milk, sugar, and salt and simmer over med to
med-low heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid shows the FIRST
signs of thickening, 20-25 min. Take from the heat and remove the
cinn stick and zest. Beat the egg yolks until runny, stir in the
vanilla and a few T of the hot rice, the stir yolk concoction back
into the rice mixture, Mix in HALF the raisins, then spoon the rice
pudding into a decorative 8"square baking dish.

Browning and finishing the pudding. Preheat the broiler and dot the
rice pudding w/butter. Set the dish under the heat long enough to
brown the top, 3 or 4 min. Sprinkle with remaining raisins and the
ground cinnamon, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook's Notes:

Timing and Advance Preparation. The rice pudding can be ready in an
hour, much of which won't involve your direct participation. It may
be prepared through Step 2 a day or two in advance, then buttered and
broiled shortly before serving.