Rice Pudding

We have finally reached the final dessert in our list of delicacies from the first Hogwarts Feast:

"Blocks of ice cream in ever flavor you could think of, apples, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding..." 

(Sorcerer's Stone 125).

I love rice pudding, so I'm very excited that a recipe for it is included in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. And it's really easy! That is the recipe we'll use today.

You Will Need:

1/2 cup white rice (preferably short grain, but long grain works-- and is cheaper, that's what I used)

4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbs butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1. In a large saucepan, combine the rice, milk, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil (slowly, or else your milk will scald on the bottom!).

2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease a 2-quart baking dish.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and nutmeg, stirring until combined and the butter is melted.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. 

6. Then bake for another 30-45 minutes (without stirring), until spotted golden brown (it took mine almost an hour to get to this point). 

Serve warm or at room temperature. Dinah Bucholz says to serve it with whipped cream or ice cream or jam... I've always enjoyed it plain, but go ahead and do whatever you fancy! It's really delicious, and totally hits the spot on a brisk autumn day (even if you haven't just floated across the Hogwarts Lake)!