Grammy’s Rice Pudding

“Mummy made the rice pudding,” my aunt Colette sputtered to my dad as she opened the door to their childhood home in south Manchester on a Saturday afternoon. With a glint in his eye and a slight smirk, he quickly led the way to the tiny kitchen that once fed a small Irish army. At the sunny end of the sturdy oak table sat his mother, Jeannette. Hair always in perfect white curls, ‘Grammy’ Brady was a fierce, imposing figure who was warm to those in her pack, but protective almost to a fault. On weekend afternoons, in an almost choreographed fashion, her eleven children would pay the matriarch a visit. Piling tight into the humble apartment, the kids would catch up, exchange gossip, and nosh on boxes of fresh bakery doughnuts in the morning, fried haddock or chicken in the afternoon, and occasionally her very particular rendition of rice pudding. In anticipation of afternoon traffic, Grams would line the fridge’s crisper drawer with plastic wrap and make enough to fill it to the top, allowing her babies to take a bowl or two whenever they stopped by. It was always a hit.

This rather unusual version of rice pudding proved perfect for such a large family. With roots in the Great Depression, it was no doubt a recipe handed down from her own mother. Rather than cooking the rice in an expensive abundance of milk, this recipe calls for cooking the grain simply in water, adding any dairy and flavorings later. Whipping a small amount of cream offers the dish the same lushness as a recipe made with several gallons of milk. Crushed pineapples add not only sweetness but an acidic foil to the rich dessert. Make sure to save the drained off pineapple juice from the cans for your sons and grandsons to fight over just as Grammy did…and Happy Mothers’ day!

 

Grammy’s Rice Pudding

Makes 4 cups, serving about 8

 

2 cups cooked long grain rice

2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Maraschino cherries, about half 10-ounce jar, drained well and quartered (optional)

 

Cook the rice according to package instructions, omitting butter and salt. Using a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon spread cooked rice evenly over a baking sheet line with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool in refrigerator several hours or overnight.

In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, whip cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, scraping bowl several times.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, thoroughly mix the drained pineapples and rice together using a fork.

Carefully, fold the whipped cream into the rice/pineapple mixture. If using, gently stir in the cherry pieces. Allow to chill for at least an hour or overnight.