Golden Apricot Rice Pudding

This is rice pudding dressed up for company. Individual molds lined with melted butter, brown sugar, and plumped dried apricots on the bottom, filled with a spiced rice custard, and baked in a water bath. When you unmold them, the apricots end up on top in a caramelized brown sugar glaze. Same principle as a pineapple upside-down cake, but lighter and more refined.

The water bath is what makes the custard silky instead of rubbery. Hot water surrounding the molds diffuses the oven’s heat so the egg-and-milk mixture sets gently and evenly. Without a water bath, the edges would overcook and turn grainy while the center stays liquid.

Scalded milk (heated just below boiling) poured over the sugar and rice tempers the eggs gradually when stirred in. If you dumped cold milk into beaten eggs and baked it, you’d have a much longer cooking time and an uneven set. The pre-heated milk gives you a head start.

Unmold immediately after baking. The brown sugar layer is liquid when hot and acts as a release agent. Wait too long and it cools into sticky toffee that bonds the pudding to the mold.

The optional chocolate sauce pooled around the base turns this from a homey dessert into something you’d see on a restaurant plate. Toasted almonds add crunch against the soft pudding.

Chef Tips

• Plump dried apricots in hot water for 15 minutes before using. Dry apricots will draw moisture from the custard
• Use already-cooked rice, leftover from dinner works fine. Long grain or short grain both work here
• Fill the water bath with hot water (not boiling) to about an inch up the sides of the molds
• Run a thin knife around the edge of each mold before flipping to ensure a clean release

Variations

• Swap apricots for dried peaches or mango slices for a tropical version
• Add a tablespoon of bourbon or amaretto to the custard mixture
• Use coconut milk instead of skim milk for a dairy-free adaptation