Sticky ginger pear pudding
A great last-minute alternative to a traditional Christmas pudding - plus it reheats in only five minutes
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly butter a shallow ovenproof dish. Wash the rice well under cold water, then drain. Bring the milk and creams to the boil with the vanilla pod, add the rice and sugar, then stir well.
Tip the rice into the prepared dish, then grate a little nutmeg over the top. Dot with knobs of butter, bake for 15 mins, lower the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3, then bake for 1 hr more, by which time the pudding should be golden brown on top and creamy underneath. Serve with spoonfuls of my Quick raspberry jam (below).