Lemon cream rice pudding

I have a number of old cook books, one of my favorites is "The Boston Cooking School Cook Book."  The version I have was published in 1935 by Little Brown and Company, but it was originally copyrighted in 1896.  One of the most interesting things about it is how many totally gluten free recipes are in it.  Think about it though, it's not like there were 24 hour a day markets, if you were out of an ingredient in 1896 you made do.  In fact, the very first thing in the book is a list of substitutions followed by ways to use soured milk.

Another interesting thing is how little sugar the recipes use, and how small the serving sizes are.  The menus are pretty entertaining too.  There is a whole section on vegetable luncheons or dinners, not to indulge your vegetarian friends I assume, but perhaps for fast days or if you are simply out of meat.  In many ways it's a very modern cookbook.

I am always trying to think of ways to get more dairy and eggs into my vegetarian children.  I worry about protein, good fats, and vitamin B12, not to mention choline, iron, all the things they are missing.  I used to think you could get adequate nutrition as a vegetarian, but I am no longer so sure.  Have I mentioned that I haven't had a cavity since I started eating meat again?  I had a cavity every dental appointment of my life.  My old cook books have many recipes for using up extra milk and eggs, in fact I think that's the entire purpose of the dessert chapter: using up milk and eggs.

Last night I tried the Lemon Cream Rice recipe, and it was awesome.  It's a lemon rice pudding baked with a meringue topping.  I made a few minor changes and we all loved it!

Lemon Cream Rice (Adapted from The Boston Cooking School Cook Book.)


1/2 cup jasmine rice
3 cups whole milk
1/3 cup honey
grated zest of a whole lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine the milk and rice in the top of a double boiler, place on top of simmering water, cover and simmer until rice is cooked and very soft about 30 minutes.

Stir together honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and egg yolks.  Gradually stir in 1 cup of the hot rice mixture to temper the egg yolks.  Add the egg mixture to the rice and milk mixture in the top of the double boiler and stir constantly for a few minutes until the mixture is slightly thicker.  Pour into a buttered baking dish, I used a small quiche type pan.  Let cool in refrigerator till thick and just a bit warm.  Can be made ahead to this point, set out to warm to room temperature 30-40 minutes before proceeding.

Beat egg whites till foamy, add two tablespoons sugar and continue beating till stiff, gently add lemon extract.  Top pudding with egg whites and bake in 350 oven just until delicately browned.

(The eggs in the meringue are basically raw, if making for immune compromised people consider using pasteurized eggs.)

I found this not too sweet, and it did all the things lemon meringue pie does for me, but easier and gluten free.