Arroz con leche, me quiero casar
There’s a kids' song that always comes to mind—and that I end up half-singing—whenever my mom says she’s making arroz con leche.
Arroz con leche, me quiero casar,
con una señorita de San Nicolás,
que sepa coser, que sepa bordar,
que sepa abrir la puerta para ir a jugar.
Arroz con leche, I want to get married,
to a young lady from San Nicolás,
who knows how to sew, who knows how to embroider,
who knows how to open the door to go out and play.
Arroz con leche is so much more than just a dessert. Beyond filling the room with the scent of cinnamon, warms your heart. For me, it brings back memories of my childhood.
I especially remember my grandpa (who is no longer with us)—he loved my mom's arroz con leche.
Let me give you a little context here. My grandparents were the ones who took care of us (my sister and I) most of the time since my mom had to go to work every day, but she always found time to make us quick and yummy food that we could share at my grandparents house: pancakes, arroz con leche, lentils—anything. I remember my grandma would say to my mom, "Hija, no traigas comida, aquí hay mucha" (Daughter, don't bring food; we have plenty here). She never listened, haha! If you're Mexican, you know that adults don't listen when it comes to food. They feed you even if you say you just had lunch; they send you home with groceries even if you just did grocery shopping. There's no winning against them. Anyways, my grandpa would never be against my mom bringing that cinnamon-y sweet dessert.
My mom and I prepared some arroz con leche together the other day, and now I'm sharing her recipe with you. Please enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup of rice
2 cups of water + 2 tbsp water
1 cinnamon stick
1 can of evaporated milk -12oz (354ml)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (you can adjust the sweetness to your preference)
Ground cinnamon (for garnish)
Process
Instructions:
Cook the Rice:
Clean and rinse the cup of rice.
Bring to boil the 2 cups of water + the cinnamon stick over medium heat.
Once boiling reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the water is almost absorbed.
Thicken the Mixture:
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until it dissolves completely. Set aside.
Add the Milks:
Once the rice is cooked, add the evaporated milk and the sweetened condensed milk to the saucepan. Stir well to combine.
Slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Simmer and Thicken:
Continue to cook the mixture over low heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens to your desired consistency.
Add the 3/4 cup of raisins
Serve:
Remove the cinnamon stick and let the arroz con leche cool slightly.
Serve warm or chilled, garnished with ground cinnamon.
Note:
This dessert can be modified to your desired texture. For a creamier consistency, simply skip the cornstarch. If you prefer a more liquid version, add an extra cup of water when cooking the rice. You can also add other ingredients like chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans).
