JB’s Rice Pudding

I always enjoyed eating the rice pudding Grandma Tate made when I was a kid, unfortunately, her recipe was never passed down. After seeing an 18th century “Poor Man’s Rice Pudding” from Amelia Simmons “American Cookery”, which doesn’t use a double boiler, I decided to give it a try with the flavors and local ingredients we like.

Ingredients
4 oz jasmine rice uncooked
1 qt whole milk
1 tbsp unsalted butter cut in cubes
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup local honey
¼ tsp cayenne
3 dates chopped
1 egg beaten (stirred in while cold)
2 tbsp Jim Beam whiskey
1 tbsp pine nuts (chopped hazelnuts can be substituted)
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 °F. While the oven heats up mix together all the ingredients in a 2-3 qt. casserole and bring to a boil on the stove, stirring often, then turn off the heat.
Place the cover on the casserole and place it in the oven. Stir every 15-20 minutes and watch for the texture to change. This can be removed from the oven anywhere between 45 and 75 minutes based on personal preference of thickness.
Spoon onto plates and top with homemade whipped cream.
The recipe can be doubled for more servings as required.