Arroz con Leche, Spanish Dessert
Milk, Rice and Sugar Become One of the tastiest Desserts in Spain
Arroz con leche is one of the most typical desserts in Spain. Find out how to prepare this sweet Spanish dessert, including some tasty variations to the original recipe.
The “arroz con leche” or “rice with milk” has a long history. You can taste this dessert in different Spanish speaking countries: Spain, Peru or Costa Rica, for example. It is basically a Latin dessert. Spaniards brought this recipe to America some centuries ago, but the origin of this dessert is not the land we call these days Spain; Muslims, when conquering the South of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain nowadays) brought their recipe and the art of mixing the basic ingredients with different spices.
In fact, even in Spain, each region has a different recipe for the Arroz con Leche, but always using the basic ingredients: rice, milk, sugar and lemon or orange peel.
This is the traditional recipe for this dessert:
Ingredients
- Rice (1/2 cup)
- Milk (4 cups)
- Sugar (1/2 cup)
- A pinch of Salt
- 1 Lemon (or orange) zest
- 1 stick Cinnamon
Cook the rice for about five minutes with no much water, but be careful, don’t let the rice get dry! Meanwhile, heat the milk (medium heat), together with the lemon or orange zest, the sugar, salt and the cinnamon stick.
When the milk is hot (just before it starts boiling) we’ll add the rice, previously pre-cooked and we’ll reduce heat to very low. We have to stir it from time to time, checking it doesn’t get burn. When stirring it, touch the bottom of the pan with the wooden spoon you are using. This way you’ll notice if the rice is burning or not, as it would be “stuck” on the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until you notice the rice is completely cooked.
In case the rice gets dry during its cooking, add some milk, as the Arroz con Leche should be half-liquid, never solid.
Everyone has his/her own taste, so, next time you prepare this recipe, add more or less sugar, or maybe, if you prefer a more liquid Arroz con leche, add more milk.
The final step, when the rice is cooked, is removing it from heat; remove the cinnamon stick and the lemon or orange zest, and serve it in individual cups or glasses.
When the Arroz con Leche is colder, put it in the fridge.
Serve cold, with some ground cinnamon on it.
This is the basic Arroz con Leche recipe, but there are several variations; some people may add some raisins, clove, butter or vanilla, but this is not very common in Spain. The Mexican recipe includes eggs and the Andalucia’s one adds some “agua de rosas”. On the other had, another Spanish region, Asturias, includes some liqueur and yolks.
Enjoy it!
