Orange Rice Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water for 15 minutes
2 cups whole milk or 2 cups skim milk
1/3 cup medium grain rice, washed and soaked in sufficient water for 30 minutes
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange rind, grated (optional)
6 -8 pitted dates, coarsely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Preparation

Squeeze out excess water from the raisins and keep aside.
Boil milk in a non-stick saucepan.
Drain and add rice to the boiling milk, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continuously until the rice is soft and the milk is completely absorbed.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Combine cooked rice with honey, raisins, vanilla, grated orange rind and chopped dates (if desired), and fresh orange juice.
Pour into a medium ceramic or glass ovenproof dish.
Bake the pudding in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.
Serve warm or chilled.