8/19/12

Paletas de Arroz con Leche


above photo credit: Michael Kraus
Apparently, July broke a Dust-Bowl-era record as the hottest month ever in the continental U.S. Translation: get out your pudding pops!
It's been since last summer that I attempted some manner of iced lolly, and as I've been eating a lot of Mexican-inspired dinners, I figured these paletas de arroz con leche would fit in nicely for dessert.  
Unless you have twelve molds, this recipe will likely leave you with excess, loose, Popsicle meat. The good news is that this can be refrigerated and will become delicious, classic rice pudding.
Appropriately, we enjoyed these cool treats outdoors. The single biggest perk of moving from our one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood to this house on the east side of town is the backyard. We've discovered this whole crazy ecosystem at work. So, last Sunday, Matt spent the entire day out back with Mavis, and guess what? He took a few photos. So now I can present to you, ladies and gentlemen, a brief photo essay entitled: Things Matt Saw in Our Backyard and One Photo of Mavis Prancing.
1. Mr. Hummingbird (Mrs. Hummingbird? Damaging Fact: my third grade teacher emphatically told our class that hummingbirds never rest or stop beating their wings. Last Sunday, I learned that this was a lie.)
2. Fruit from our newly-planted Meyer lemon tree.
3. Morning Glories (I didn't realize that these aptly-named blooms literally open in the morning and close in the afternoon/evening. Nature is wild!)
4. Three Ink Caps (I think? Any mycologists out there know for sure? If so, are they poisonous? Should I stop force-feeding these to children? Every morning, these delicate, tissue-thin fellows pop up like little Dr. Seuss characters and then completely disappear by noon.
5. Yellow, heirloom, pear tomatoes growing like mad with little effort on our part.
6. Mavis a.k.a. Mavooos, a.k.a. Capital Worm, a.k.a. Goldenridge, a.k.a. Whiz, a.k.a. Whiz Kid (because she's notorious for whizzing out of excitement when we come home, even if it's just one of us coming home and she's been with the other one all day long.) at 10 weeks, on her way to a very important meeting at the other side of the kitchen.

Paletas de Arroz con Leche via Saveur
makes 12 ice pops

3 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
   and beans scraped
1 cup short- or medium-grain rice
2 sticks cinnamon
1  14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
    mixed with 2 cups water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Bring whole milk, 1 1/4 cups water, and vanilla beans to a simmer in a 4-qt. pot over medium-low heat. Stir in rice and cinnamon sticks and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, 20–30 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and stir in condensed milk mixture, vanilla extract, and salt. Simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, 10–15 minutes more. Remove pan from heat, stir in ground cinnamon, and let cool slightly.

Transfer mixture to twelve 3-oz. ice-pop molds. Transfer molds to the freezer and freeze until slushy, about 1 hour. Insert a Popsicle stick into each mold and freeze until pops are solid, about 3 hours more. To release ice pops from molds, run the bottom of the molds briefly under warm water.

28 comments:

Matthew said...

I loved these even if my ideal popsicle is not rice-based. I think we should take Mavooos outside now, she might want to whizzzzzzzzz. xoxo

Mary Anne said...

aaahhhhh, i want to clean all the dead stuff out of your tomatoes so bad!!

your yard is amazing! Those photos make me feel like I'm in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"!

Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy said...

Love your yard! So much going on and Mavis is gorgeous. You are so lucky to have humingbirds where you live!

Luisa said...

Wow, stunning photos. A garden! With hummbingbirds and blue flowers and yellow tomatoes! Sigh. I wish I lived in LA.

Laura said...

Lovely photos. Definitely not inky caps, and prolly not edible, not sure if they are poisonous.

la domestique said...

Wow, there's a whole world out there in the back yard! I kind of like the idea of a creamy pop vs. a fruit juice one.

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS photographs. How is your backyard a perfect little green ecosystem? Those mushrooms! I love it. Mavis is freaking adorable.

Anonymous said...

I ate a lot of these from the paletas carts growing up in Chicago. Ready to reminisce!

Melanie said...

Best photo essay ever. Absolutely love these pics and Mavis the Wiz Kid!!!

Kara said...

SO happy to see another BA this bloomy Monday! Want To Stand Barefoot In That Perfect Yard So Bad
xxoo

Amelia Morris said...

She just whizzed like crazy when Matt came home, Melanie! Total Whiz Kid.

Amelia Morris said...

At least you'll be here on your book tour so soon!! Hurrah!!

Amelia Morris said...

There you go again with your fancy, know-it-all tomato knowledge!!

Jessica said...

OMG! I'm with Maryanne! Your yard would be perfect for shrunken kids. I could use a refreshing rice pudding pop right about now.
-Jess

Alex said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dave said...

"Apparently, July broke a Dust-Bowl-era record as the hottest month ever in the continental U.S. Translation: get out your pudding pops!" same here. I see Mavis is busy :). You are really lucky to have hummingbirds at your garden! If I have luck I maybe saw them twice in year:(.

Megan Taylor said...

Looks so refreshing!

Anonymous said...

Is Mavis a Shih Tzu? If so, dangle a dishtowel in front of her. She should bite it then just sort of lay on the ground limply while you drag her around on her belly. Pretty sure all shih tzu's do it--we used to call it Hound Fishing. Oh, and it's a great way to dust hardwood floors.

Amelia Morris said...

hahahhahaa. Love this image. Will try asap. Though Mavis is a Havanese, I'm thinking it'll still play.

Kristen @ RMK life said...

Bon Appe-I'm going to attempt these! They look marvelous! Maybe a little vanilla bean in there too? Yum.

Rachel said...

I'd like to know what you plan to do with the meyer lemons. we have one in our yard and i will not-so-quietly admit that i'm not impressed. i don't like the pine-y scent. LA times called it a "thyme" scent. Either way.

jessie pearl said...

Very nice ice cream photos! thanks for sharing the preparation of ice cream methods.Thank you

shot for slim

Amelia Morris said...

hahaaha. Hi Rachel! See, I like the thyme-y scent. You could make lemon curd, which I find quite delicious in between or on top of cakes orrrr make that clara con limon (beer and lemonade) drink. Also, I've never preserved lemons, but it seems easy enough... and a nice thing to have on hand to flavor boring weeknight meals. Also, there's this meyer lemon tart a friend made once that was absolutely delicious!

Rachel said...

Hi Amelia! (hope the new house is treating you well - congrats on the move! did i already say that?) I am intrigued by your suggestions. But, I am STILL trying to get my act together to make the mac n cheese pancakes. Sigh - too honest? ONE of these days I will seriously try these things. Probably a drink recipe is my best bet right now - thanks for the tip! (I am so impressed you think preserving lemons sounds easy - you've come so far ;))

Anonymous said...

Just looked up "Havanese" on wiki and another name for the breed is "Bichon Habanero". Now I want one just for that.

lisa fika said...

LOVING this Post!!!!! Xo.

Ms.Nožisková said...

That picture of the hummingbird is amazing, just amazing!! Congrats Matt! How long was it before it started humming again? I just heard an interview with an ornithologist who said that the incredible amount of sensory data that a hummingbird rapidly & simulaneously processes can only be understood in human terms as the equivalent of a near death experience!!

Also, those lollies look fab... waaaay better than pudding pops.

So glad you are settling in!!! xoxx

joanna said...

i just bought the mexico issue of saveur so i'm hoping to find this recipe all up in there.

mavis is a dream.

xo