WINTER HARVEST

BAKED RICE PUDDING WITH ROASTED PERSIMMON

SERVES 6

½ cup (110g) caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
650ml almond milk (or any other milk)
600ml pure (thin) cream, plus extra to drizzle
1¼ cups (275g) arborio rice
20g unsalted butter, chopped

ROASTED PERSIMMONS

6 ripe persimmons, halved
¼ cup (90g) honey
1 cinnamon quill, slightly crushed
½ tsp sumac

For the roasted persimmons, preheat oven to 200°C. Place persimmons in a large baking dish and drizzle with honey. Add ¼ cup (60ml) water, cinnamon and sumac to the dish and roast for 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes until the persimmons are caramelised and softened. (If your persimmons are quite firm, roast for the first 30 minutes covered in foil.) Set aside.

Reduce oven to 160°C. Whisk together the sugar, vanilla seeds and pod, almond milk and cream in a large jug. Place the rice in an greased 2.5L baking dish and pour over the milk mixture. Stir to combine, then dot over the chopped butter. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring once after 30 minutes, until the rice