I do hope you like this recipe. I use Jersey milk when making a rice pudding or bread and butter pudding, please do not use skimmed or semi skimmed. Any eating apples will be fine, we are spoilt for choice at this time of year.

Do make sure you don’t burn your butter when browning it but if you are nervous about this bit of the recipe you can always omit the step. Eat and enjoy. I am sure the odd pudding does us no harm and heard on the radio yesterday how popular British puddings are!

SERVES 6

150g. short grain rice
700mls. whole milk
35g. caster sugar
284mls. carton of buttermilk
4 tbsps. double cream

For the apples:

6 small eating apples
35g. unsalted butter
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
300mls. cider
4 bay leaves
2 tbsps. demerara sugar
2 tbsps. light brown muscovado sugar

Put the rice in a pan and add the milk and caster sugar. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down very low and cook for 25 minutes, stirring from time to time. When most of the milk has been absorbed, add the buttermilk. You should end up with a fairly liquid mixture – it will become thicker as it cools. Leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4. Halve the apples, there’s no need to core or peel them, and leave the stalks intact. Place in a small roasting tin.
Melt the butter in a pan, heating until it turns light brown. Add the cinnamon and pour over the apples. Turn the apples in the butter to coat and arrange cut-side up. Pour over the cider. Place the bay leaves on top and sprinkle over the sugars.
Bake for 40 – 50 minutes until the apples are tender and slightly caramelised. Baste with the cider a couple of times during cooking.
To serve, stir the rice to loosen it, adding a little milk if needed, then stir in the cream.