Truly Hazelnut Rice Pudding

I have been thinking a lot about nut milks recently...blending nuts with water and getting milk, it's rather fantastique.  I have been meaning to try it out, but I don't currently have a "nut milk bag" or another appropriate filter.  (For those of you close to me reading this blog, please take the previous sentence as a major hint...Valentines day is coming up as you know.)  This led me to think, blending nuts with real cows milk would be even more fantastique (and yes, I understand this defeats the purpose of nut milk for vegans, people trying to avoid dairy, etc., but I am none of those currently, so it's allowed).  So with what to use this newfangled "nut milk"?  Rice pudding is the clear answer in my mind!  So creamy, dreamy, the nut flavors would get concentrated and infuse right into the rice.  Going along with the Italian-ness of using arborio rice in my rice pudding, I decided hazelnuts would be my nut of choice.

The result was fabulous!  True hazelnut flavor.  So rich and unctuous, just coating every taste bud in your mouth, each one reacting with "woww".

Truly Hazelnut Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

• 2 pitted Mejdool dates*
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, skins removed (I think mine were slightly toasted)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup arborio rice
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp sugar* (I used my vanilla sugar...sugar that has been sitting in a jar with a vanilla bean)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• extra hazelnuts for serving

Directions:

1. In a high speed blender (I used my Vitamix) on the highest setting, blend together the pitted (!) dates, hazelnuts, and milk until very smooth.  This took about 90 seconds for me.  I did not strain the mixture because it was super smooth.  If your blender doesn't get things quite so smooth though, I would suggest straining the mixture so that your finished rice pudding still has a silky texture.
2. Pour the blended mixture into a small saucepan and add in the rice and a pinch of salt.
3. Cook, stirring very frequently, for 25-30 minutes until the rice is nice and soft and the pudding has achieved your desired consistency.  I like mine goopy...not dry, not running.
4. Off the heat, stir in the sugar and the vanilla.
5. Taste and adjust the seasonings.  I noticed that the taste changed a lot from when the mixture was hot to when it was cold, so when you're adjusting the seasonings, think about whether you're going to serve the pudding hot or cold (if serving it cold, you may need to make tweaks later).
6. Serve topped with chopped hazelnuts.

*I had initially intended this pudding to be sweetened by dates alone, but it was not sweet enough for a dessert with just the 2 dates, so I added a little sugar.  Next time, I will try 4 dates and omit the sugar.  However, this pudding with just 2 dates would also make a fabulous breakfast...the perfect wake-up amount of sweetness for the morning!

Lovely ingredients.  Make sure to take the pits out of your dates!

Rice going into the blended mixture of dates, nuts, and milk.

After about 27 minutes of cooking.  Rice is soft; perfect consistency.

The garnished bowl.

I apologize for the lighting in the next few pictures...less than ideal!

Spoooonful.  Holding perfectly to the spoon, creamy,

Have I enticed you yet?

One more, with better lighting this time, to tie it all up.  Now go make some!

I sit here writing and enjoying my bowl of rice pudding, going back to the kitchen between paragraphs for extra spoonfuls.  Tomorrow, I am going to try adding some cocoa powder or melted chocolate to the rice pudding...inspiration: Nutella.

I also can't wait to try this concept with different nuts.  Almonds perhaps with some cinnamon.  Pistachios perhaps with some cardamom.  Macadamia nuts or cashews - because of their high fat content - would give an extremely creamy product.  Dried fruits, zest, etc., nothing could go wrong with this pudding!