Five-Spice Coconut Rice Pudding

This past weekend I made up a batch of really rich, tasty pudding.   I'd seen a recipe on My Gourmet Connection for Five-Spice Vanilla Rice Pudding that looked pretty good.  I was considering just making that, but operating under the principle that more coconut is almost always a good thing, I decided to boost the coconut flavor by adding some shredded coconut.  I also cut back a bit on the amound of sugar suggested by the other recipe, both because I was adding some by using sweetened coconut and because many rice puddings are cloyingly sweet to a degree I find unpleasant.

This pudding is just plain delicious.  It's also quite rich... so rich and filling, in fact, that a fairly small serving is more than adequate.  Other than that, there's not much to say about this one.  Unless you just plain don't like rice pudding or coconut, you're going to love this one.  Try it and see.

Five-Spice Coconut Rice Pudding

yield = 8 servings

1               cup basmati rice
2               cans (14 ounces) coconut milk
1 1/3         cup plus 1/4 cup skim milk
1               cup heavy cream
3/4            cup granulated sugar
1/2            cup sweetened, shredded coconut
2               teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4            teaspoon five-spice powder
1               pinch salt
                 fruit slices or tidbits for garnish (if desired)

Soak the rice in cool for about 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

Remove from heat.   Divide pudding into serving cups and serve either warm or slightly chilled.  Garnish with a sliced, fresh strawberry, a few slices of fresh mango or other fruit, if desired.