Lightened Rice Pudding

Source: Martha Stewart

This gently spiced, vanilla-scented pudding is so velvety you'd never suspect that

it's made with skim milk instead of regular. It can also be served warm.

Pudding Pizzazz:

Tweak the flavor by trading ingredients. Try pistachios or chopped dried apricots

instead of raisins, or use ground nutmeg instead of cardamom or cinnamon.

This recipe was submitted by Samuel Shaffer of  New York, New York.

Serves 8

1 cup long-grain white rice
6 cups skim milk
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon,
plus more for garnish
1/2 cup golden raisins, plus more for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine rice and 5 cups milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium;
simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla, cardamom, and remaining
cup milk. Slowly pour egg mixture into rice mixture; cook over medium-low, stirring constantly,
until pudding coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in raisins. Pour pudding into a 6-quart casserole dish or large bowl; let
cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

 Serve pudding garnished with more raisins and cardamom.