Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding

I am an old fashioned girl and the things which bring me the most pleasure in life are simple things and ordinary pleasures. That goes for the way I choose to live my life, dress, keep my home and, most especially, with the things which bring me joy when it comes to food . . . cooking and eating.

A simple rice pudding falls well within the realms of what brings me lots of pleasure . . . simple, milky . . . a nursery type of food. Comfort food at its very best . . .

This version is a tad bit fancier than the usual in that it boasts a simple flapjack topping. Now you North Americans might be a bit confused by that terminology. We are not talking about pancakes here, but about a very British, very delicious oatmeal square/slice that is chewy, sticky and sweet with golden syrup.

Very moreish with a nice hot cuppa. I have several recipes for them on here, which you can find here. Scrumdiddlyumptious! (To say the least!)

The pudding itself involves very few ingredients, some pudding rice (short grained), a bit of sugar and milk, with a dotting of butter. You might think that it sees like a very tiny amount of rice, but trust me when I say it is the perfect amount!

As you can see it thickens very nicely. There is also not a lot of sugar, which is a good thing . . . .

You don't need a lot of sugar in a rice pudding, and let me assure you, that golden flapjack topping is plenty sweet enough!!

You will want to bake it in a shallow baking dish, so that there is plenty of surface to spread the topping over, so that it cooks up perfectly . . . and crispy oaty beneath the grill.

This really is a most gorgeous pudding! Todd had seconds, and I found myself sneaking tiny spoonfuls every time I went past it in the kitchen, even after it was cold . . . yes, I am a very naughty girl . . .

I always find it quite magical the way a few simple ingredients, put together properly, can create something so delicious as this pudding.

I shouldn't be surprised really . . . just look around us. We are surrounded by beautiful things that are quite simple really . . . and yet not so simple . . . baby toes, rose petals, a robin's spring song, the loving nudge of a wet nose from a beloved furry family member . . .

In any case you need to make this pudding. I think in North America you can get Golden Syrup online and if you can't find it, you can use corn syrup in it's place. Golden syrup does have a lovely caramel like flavour however, so if you can get it, I highly recommend.