Coconut Rice Pudding

I have 3 words for you:
1. Slow Cooker.
2. Comfort Food.
3. Super Easy!
OK, that's 6 words, but you know what I mean. Clearly there are many rice pudding fans out there - and why not? It's the ultimate warming comfort food. This is the easiest most delicious recipe I have.

Coconut Rice Pudding
Serve with Cosa Dolce
3 C water
1 C dry Arborio (Risotto) rice
1 15-ounce can of cream of coconut (like you use for Pina Coladas, not coconut milk)
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
¼ C raisins (cuz it’s not rice pudding without raisins)
2/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

In a 4.5 to 6 quart slow cooker, combine the water, rice, cream of coconut and evaporated milk and stir to blend. Please note that Arborio rice - available in almost every grocery store - makes a much better rice pudding than long grain white rice. It's a pantry must-have.

Cover slow cooker and cook for 4.5 hours on low. Add raisins in last ½ hour. Remove bowl from slow cooker. While pudding stands (10 minutes) toast coconut flakes - either in a small nonstick skillet or on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. To serve, transfer pudding to individual serving bowls and top with toasted coconut.

NOTE: The first time you make this, make sure you hang around. If your slow cooker runs hot, the sugar in the coconut cream is going to burn around the edges a bit. So try this recipe while you are at home. If you have a hot Crock Pot, just add a bit more liquid - water or milk. Or reduce the cooking time a bit.

Extra credit points: top each bowl of rice pudding with a spoonful of crushed pineapple before topping with coconut. The second version of this is Dulce de Leche Rice pudding. Substitute a 13.4 ounce can of Dulce de Leche condensed milk (Mexican food aisle) for the cream of coconut. Mmmmm.