Rice pudding

If you are starting with dry rice, rinse it three times under cold water, then place it in a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil and let it cook until the water is almost fully absorbed. If you are using leftover rice, skip to Step 2.

Add the milk, salt, and leftover rice to a pot over medium heat (if you started with dry rice, add milk and salt to the pot your rice is cooking in). Stir to combine, and bring it to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, drop the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

If you started with dry rice, your rice should be almost cooked through at this point. Add the sugar and the half and half, mix well, and return to a simmer. Stir continuously so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Keep cooking and stirring until the pudding has thickened and the rice is completely cooked. If your pudding isn’t thickening as much as you would like, make a slurry with the cornstarch and 1 T of cold milk, stir it into the pudding, and cook for another 10 minutes.

When your pudding is thick, you can either transfer it into individual serving cups and let it cool, or you can portion it into ramekins and place them under the broiler for a few minutes. Broiling will give the rice pudding a pleasant golden brown layer on top. Let the rice pudding cool to room temperature on the countertop.

Once the pudding has cooled significantly, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it chill for a few hours before serving. This pudding is delicious plain, or you can top it with a spoonful of honey, maple syrup, berries, or jam.