Arroz con Leche (y Coco, y Canela!)

What does one do when they need to find a use for the leftover coconut milk in the fridge? Substitute 1 cup of it for the milk in arroz con leche, of course! At least that's what occurred to me. And Dan will be one lucky husband/babydaddy when he comes home tonight to find it hanging out on the top shelf. In the exact same place the leftover coconut milk was this morning.

Arroz con leche (or rice pudding in english speaking parts of the world) is incredibly easy and quick to make. I did this in about 45 minutes this afternoon, with very little effort, and it turned out beautifully. The coconut essence is subtle, yet very much there, and the cinnamon imparts a lovely, pale rose color. I don't like it too sweet, so I only used 1/3 cup of sugar. If you find it's not sweet enough for your liking, you can definitely add more.

                         1 cup white rice
                         2 cups water
                         1 cup milk
                         1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
                         1/3 cup sugar
                         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, and cook on low until most of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Add the milk and cook, stirring frequently about ten minutes. Then add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until the rice is very soft and the milk is almost completely absorbed (another 10-15 minutes).

Makes 6 servings.

Adapted from How to Cook Everything, Mark Bittman