Chocolate Rice Pudding

Full fat soymilk and short grain rice makes the creamiest possible texture. from local newspaper.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup arborio rice or 1  cup  valencia short-grain rice
• 2 1⁄2 cups plain soymilk
• 1⁄2-1  cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3⁄4-1  cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons cashews or 3  tablespoons almond butter
• 2  teaspoons instant coffee powder (optional, but deepens the chocolate flavour)

Directions

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil.
2. Add rice.
3. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is quite soft and most of the water has absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. While rice is cooking, in a blender combine the soymilk with the minimum amounts of cocoa powder and sugar, the cashew butter and the instant coffee powder, if using.
5. Process until all the nut butter is completely blended in, about 1 minute.
6. Taste and add more cocoa and sugar, if you wish.
7. (Keep in mind that the flavour and sweetness will be somewhat diminished after the liquid is cooked with the rice).
8. Stir the chocolate mixture into the cooked rice.
9. Bring to boil over high heat (take care, as soymilk easily boils over).
10. Then lower the heat and cook uncovered at gentle boil,stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and to break up any skin that forms on top.
11. Cook until the pudding thickens and some rice is visible on the surface, 10 to 12 minutes.
12. The mixture will be fairly soupy, it will thicken as it cools.