Baked Rice Pudding

On November 15, 2024November 15, 2024 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn baked, ColumnLeave a comment

Rice pudding tops my list of easy desserts that can be made from kitchen staples and leftovers. I prefer the baked version that I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon over a stovetop pudding that more closely resembles a porridge in texture. Baking achieves the same creaminess but provides more structure in each bite. As a bonus, the dish prefers to be left untouched while in the oven, whereas you need to keep an eye on stovetop rice pudding and stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning.

The name is a bit of a misnomer, because this dessert has more of the features that define a custard than a pudding. The starchy rice does provide a little thickening power, but it’s really the eggs that make rice pudding set up properly. That’s partly why it puffs slightly in the oven and then deflates again as it cools. Rice pudding also has the firmer texture associated with custard, especially when it’s baked in the oven, rather than the softness of a pudding.
Learn to make Baked Rice Pudding

Golden Baked Custard

On March 29, 2024March 29, 2024 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn baked, Column1 Comment

Although my family probably ate baked custard for dessert, I mostly remember it as an afterschool snack, scooped from a well-worn casserole dish and served without ceremony. It seemed like the homemade, comforting equivalent of vanilla pudding.

It wasn’t until I started experimenting with custard-based desserts at home, like flan and crème brûlée, that I realized the creations that can fetch high prices at an upscale restaurant are really just stylish versions of old-fashioned baked custard. As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, once you become comfortable with making custard, fancier desserts are just a topping away. The main transition from old-fashioned baked custard to the more exotic sounding desserts is a caramel sauce, made by simply heating sugar until it melts and becomes golden, or a crunchy caramelized sugar shell, best achieved with a kitchen torch.
Learn to make Golden Baked Custard

Homemade Shaken Eggnog

On December 28, 2023December 28, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn beverages, ColumnLeave a comment

Many cocktails have a season, with cooling beverages like mojitos in summer and rich or hot ones in winter. Eggnog has one of the shortest seasons—late October or November through the end of the year, if you’re buying it premade or seeking a house-made version at your favorite distillery or bar. Historically, it was seen as a holiday beverage because of its richness and warming spices and was sometimes even served warm. Today, manufacturers say it just doesn’t sell outside the holidays, even in regions with months of cold, snowy weather.

If you’re an eggnog fan, the best way to extend the beverage’s season is to make it yourself. But even if you only want to enjoy it on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, the main reason to whip up your own eggnog is all in the glass—a soft, rich flavor in every sip that bears little resemblance to the cloyingly sweet milkshake-style drink that comes in a carton.
Learn to make Homemade Shaken Eggnog