Arroz con Leche with Honey {Recipe}

The one comfort food I crave when the temperature goes down or when I’m down with a cold is a warm bowl of arroz con leche. In El Salvador we eat arroz con leche warm and with a very watery consistency, more like a soup than a pudding. I remember it was the one thing I looked forward to when I got sick!

Pastry Chef Luis Villavelazquez, the creator of the delicious recipe below, decided to take on the challenge of revamping traditional Latino breakfast recipes and adding the special touch of honey instead of sugar. ”Using honey allows me to innovate, and as the basis for these recipes it adds character to some items and also beautiful floral flavors to others without over stimulating the senses,” said Chef Villavelazquez.

I’m actually giving this one a try because I always prefer natural honey over sugar and need to bring back the tradition of arroz con leche in my house!

Arroz con Leche with Honey Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 oz of honey
• 1/2 cup of white Jasmine rice
• 2 cups of 2% milk
• 1/2 cup of cream
• 1/2 tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Preparation:

In a large pot, heat milk, cream and rice. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring consistently to prevent rice from burning on the bottom of the pot. During this time, grate 1/2 an orange peel, being careful to only grate the orange part and not the white pith. Next, add the honey and vanilla extract. Cook for another 8-10 minutes until the rice is cooked and has a nice bite texture. Top with orange zest, serve and enjoy!

*Note: When re-heating, warm 1 cup of milk in a pot and add in chilled porridge. Bring to a boil. Add more honey to taste.