Rice pudding reminds me of Christmas Eve at the apple orchard. Aunt Astrid was Swedish and she served up a wonderful Swedish smorgasbord every year with rings of boiled Swedish sausage (korv), platters of sliced Swedish cheeses and cold cuts, Swedish meatballs, pickled herring (sill), corn pudding, and - yes - rice pudding. Delicious! After dinner, we'd adjourn to the living room where the Christmas tree was always, as long as I can remember, a pine tree. Those are wonderful memories... and they have absolutely nothing to do with my grandmother or her rice pudding recipe!
INGREDIENTS
1/3 c white rice
1 qt milk
1/2 c sugar, scant
Nutmeg or lemon
Butter
1/2 tsp salt
Cook 2 hours in moderate oven (or longer).
Stir often.
Raisins may be added at last stirring.
As with many older recipes, both the ingredient list and the instructions are not as detailed as in modern cookbooks. Here are some ideas...
Use 1/8 tsp nutmeg.
Bake in a 2 quart baking dish such as a Pyrex casserole dish.
Dot with the butter (about 1 tablespoon total).
If the pudding boils, it can curdle. So bake at 325° or lower and stir every 10 minutes or so, especially during the first hour. You can also set the baking dish in a larger dish of hot water as you would with custard.
If you're adding raisins, try about 1/2 cup.
You may want to add a teaspoon of vanilla.