verbatim: Lucky Number 4

I hope you can all forgive me, for I have been remiss in sharing wonderful baking news with you. Remember in September when I got to meet my baking idol Abby Dodge? Did I mention that she gave me a copy of her latest book, Desserts 4 Today: Flavorful Desserts with Just Four Ingredients? Well, that's when things got kind of hazy, because this past fall was not my best season ever for lots of things—including baking and blogging—so I'm belatedly posting this rave review.

Andy and I both love to bake—which is probably why Abby's previous book, The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People, has so many pages that are curled, warped, and splattered from use. Every recipe there is a winner. And so far that's the case with Desserts 4 Today too. You could certainly plan ahead to make these treats, but they're also just the ticket for those days or nights when you want something yummy but don't want to make another trip to the market. If you've got butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats on hand, you're just minutes away from Oatmeal Cinnamon Crisps. In the mood for Dark Chocolate–Banana Soufflés? All you need is sugar, chocolate, banana, and eggs. Really, every recipe has just four ingredients! Abby provides ingredient substitutions and offers suggestions for "gussying up" the recipes too, if you should so desire.

So far our favorite recipe is this awesome rice pudding. It is so delicious, whether warm or cold. The kids love it too!

Butterscotch Risotto Pudding

4 cups whole or 2% milk (Abby says you can use half-and-half in a pinch, and we have done this successfully.)
2/3 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed (Abby says you can sub in 1/3 cup granulated sugar, but we haven't tried this yet.)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Have ready four serving bowls and make room in the fridge.

2. Put the milk and rice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until the rice is tender and the pudding is thick and reduced to about 3 cups, 25–30 minutes. Stir more frequently toward the end of cooking to prevent scorching.

3. Slide the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and vanilla. Pour the pudding into the serving bowls. Cover with plastic wrap (touching the surface so that a skin doesn't form). Serve warm or refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 2 days. If the pudding is too thick, stir in a little more milk.

YUM! Thanks, Abby!