Vanilla Coconut Rice Pudding

I have the best rice pudding recipe ever.  I mean ever.  It's so close to the pudding my grandmother made when I was little, that it almost makes me cry.

I never expected to find anything even in the same universe as the delicious recipe given to me by my friend Beth Anne.  Really.
But I must say this recipe I found on Pinterest really does come awfully close!  The subtle difference in flavor makes both recipes true treasures.

(And hello, there are only 5 ingredients!)

Give both of them a try, and let me know which is your favorite! 

VANILLA COCONUT RICE PUDDING

1 1/2 c. cold cooked rice

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (or  1 1/2 c.)

2 c. milk

1/3 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, scraped out

(I use vanilla bean paste*)

In a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients.  Bring to a slight boil, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. 

Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish to cool.

  You might want to put a piece of plastic wrap over the top to keep the pudding from developing a slight skin. 

Serve!

We like our rice pudding cold, so I refrigerate it for several hours. I also sprinkle a little bit of nutmeg spice on the rice before serving.  And I'm thinking the next time I make this I will sprinkle a little toasted coconut on top! Delish!

This is a truly wonderful recipe.  The slightly sweet taste of coconut is delicious in this pudding, and makes a wonderful variation on a classic dessert.

*Note:I use vanilla bean paste whenever I have a recipe requiring vanilla beans. I order it online (Amazon, no less), and I love it!  It is unbelievably good, and doesn't have the short shelf life the beans do.

Look at the delicious-ness of the vanilla seeds in the paste

Recipe Source: ffffood.com