The Hairy Bikers' quick rice pudding

Ingredients

• 125g pudding/short-grain rice
• 600ml whole milk
• 50ml single cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar

Marsala raisin sauce

• 50g raisins
• 75ml sweet Marsala wine
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar

Method

Fancy a pud for your tea? Team this with one of our soups as a first course and you’ve got a really comforting but still healthy meal, with a reasonable calorie total.We both remember our mams making rice pudding and leaving it to cook in a low oven for hours. In fact, you can cook a fab rice pud on top of the stove in less than half an hour. 

And for something really special, make this luxurious raisin sauce as well.

266 calories per serving
341 calories per serving (with sauce)

Put the rice in a medium saucepan and pour over the milk, single cream and vanilla extract. Bring to the boil, then immediately turn the heat down to something between a boil and a simmer.

Cook the rice, stirring very regularly, for 20–25 minutes. By the end of this time the rice should be plumped up and tender, and the liquid well reduced.

Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved, then remove the pan from the heat. The pudding will thicken more as it cools so don’t leave it too long.

While the rice is cooking, make the sauce, if serving. Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the Marsala and lemon zest. Bring to the boil and continue to boil until the Marsala has reduced by half. Add the sugar, then turn down the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer until the liquid has turned syrupy. 

Serve the sauce with the rice pudding.

For more tempting desserts from the Hairy Bikers try their recipe for black forest pudding, apple strudel or quick, healthy banana ice cream.

The Hairy Dieters Fast Food, Orion Books, £14.99