Perfect Dairy Free Rice Pudding

Total Time: 6 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 ounces slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup rice, uncooked
• 1/3 cup honey (grade a, amber) or 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (grade a, amber)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

Recipe

• 1 blanch the almonds in a pan of rapidly boiling water, then strain and allow to dry and cool.
• 2 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 3 prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• 4 spread the blanched almonds on the parchment.
• 5 bake almonds for approximately 10 minutes or until golden and aromatic.
• 6 set pan aside to cool.
• 7 add the salt to 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• 8 add rice to the saucepan, cover and reduce the heat to low.
• 9 simmer rice, covered, for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is plumped.
• 10 in a food processor fitted with the regular blade, pulse 5 oz (1 1/4 cups) of the toasted almonds into a coarse powder.
• 11 add 3 cups of warm water to the food processor and blend until the almonds and water are incorporated and"milky"; about 5 minutes.
• 12 note: this can be done in a blender instead of a food processor, though the almonds will not be quite as fine.
• 13 strain the almond milk in a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth lined sieve or through a clean paper coffee filter into a bowl; when most of the liquid has gone through, squeeze or press the almond grits to extract as much of the remaining liquid as possible.
• 14 pour almond milk into the saucepan with the cooked rice.
• 15 add vanilla extract or scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the rice mixture.
• 16 add honey and stir the mixture.
• 17 increase heat to medium to return rice mixture to a simmer and stir every few minutes, uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened.
• 18 remove pan from heat and cool before transferring pudding to a bowl.
• 19 cover bowl and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight to allow flavors to develop and to allow the almond milk base to thicken to a nice consistency.
• 20 spoon into 6 dessert bowls and serve with a dollop of dairy free whipped topping and or fresh seasonal fruit.