"Boscoe Bakes"......Old Fashioned Rice Pudding...True Comfort Food

I don't eat it often enough, probably because I don't have an excuse to make it in the first place. I'm talking about good, old fashioned rice pudding, something that epitomizes comfort food in the truest sense. Being a fitness enthusiast and an avid foodie,  I'm always watching my carbs, so consequently I limit my intake of starch and rarely find myself with any leftovers. The other day however, I threw caution to the wind and decided that it was high time for a big pan of this scrumptious custard dessert. So I grabbed "old faithful".....my tattered and torn copy of "Joy of Cooking" and set to work. This classic pudding is easy to make and lends itself nicely to creative additions, so feel free to toss in a little cinnamon, a few chocolate chips, additional fruit or even nuts. It is also great either hot (I dove right in) or cold, and should ideally be served with a big dollup of whipped cream. This is the original recipe, which I doubled and changed as noted:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Have ready:

2 cups short or medium grain boiled rice

Combine, beat well and add:

1-1/3 cups milk (I used half and half)

1/8 teaspoon salt

4-6 tablespoons sugar or 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a combination)

1 tablespoon soft butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 eggs (I used 8)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (personal addition)

Add:

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (I used the zest of one whole lemon)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (I used the juice of one fresh lemon)

(1/3 cup raisins or dates) I used 1 cup

Combine these ingredients lightly with a fork. Grease a baking dish (I used a 13"x9"). Cover the bottom and sides with:

(Cake or cookie crumbs) I used chocolate chip cookie crumbs

Put rice in dish and cover top with more crumbs. Bake the pudding until set - about 50 minutes. Serve hot or cold with:

Cream, Fruit Sauce, fruit juice or Hot Wine Sauce. (I used whipped cream)