Pumpkin Brown Rice Pudding

I'm sorry I'm not better at taking pictures. These foods really taste a lot better than they look.

This recipe in particular smelled amazing while it was cooking. Matt kept wanting to know what I was making. I actually wasn't 100% sure what I was making - was it a dessert or a side dish? Matt pointed out that even though I was reducing the sugar from the original recipe, it still included 1/4 cup each of sugar and maple syrup and was very much a dessert. Upon tasting the finished product I conceded that he was right. I keep wanting to make fake desserts that can be eaten as snacks.

I looked in a few different stores for sweet brown rice but the closest I found was short grain brown rice. I wish I would have waited to find the sweet version because the only disappointing thing about my version was the rice itself. When enjoying the final product I found myself wanting to make the delicious sauce by itself and leave out the rice. I'm not sure I'll make this recipe again since rice pudding is a bit weird in general. But I do enjoy taking the container of leftovers out of the fridge and eating it cold with a spoon.

Pumpkin Brown Rice Pudding (adapted from Meaningful Eats)

• 1.5 cups sweet brown rice
• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 cups almond milk
• 1/4 cup brown or coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin

1. Add everything except the vanilla and pumpkin to a stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes (leave top on).
2. Cook another 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove the top of the pot for this step as you are reducing the liquid to make the dish thick and creamy.
3. When it reaches your desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pumpkin. Can be served hot or cold.