In response to another comment, I have taken the principle of baked rice one step further, and produced, via one of my favorite recipe sources, a perfect dessert:  baked rice pudding.  Comfort food as good as good can be.  The key to this recipe is Arborio rice, the same stuff that you use to make risotto. Good with long-grain white rice.  With Arborio?  Orgasmic.  You owe it to yourself to do this one for a loved one.  I promise results.

Ingredients:

4        cups whole or 2-percent milk (come on, folks. Use high test!)

1/3 cup Arborio rice

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup golden raisins, soaked in Amaretto for ½ hour, then drained (optional, but incredible—if you don’t have Amaretto, replace with ½ teaspoon almond extract mixed into ½ cup warm water)

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons Demerara sugar (Google it!  Then find it!)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly coat an 8×8 square or 9-inch round baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter
3. Pour milk into baking dish.  Add rice, brown sugar, and butter; stir gently.
4. Place on the center rack of preheated oven.  Bake 2 hours, stirring gently every 10 – 15 minutes (this is important—if you don’t, the dish will form a skin and the skin will burn.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle Demrerara sugar over the baked rice.

Serve immediately with soft vanilla gelato or (yawn!) ice cream.

Wow!