Cointreau and date rice pudding

Including dates in your diet is a great way to increase fibre intake. Your date is not only a natural sweetener, it also provides various antioxidants that have many health benefits.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Dried goji berries (Main)
4 Tbsp	Cointreau (Main)
¾ cup	Carnaroli rice (Main)
1 cup	Water
½ tsp	Vanilla essence
2 cups	Full fat milk
1 ¾ cups	Cream
2 Tbsp	Caster sugar
2 Tbsp	Cointreau (Main)
½	Oranges, zest only
4	Dates, pips removed, diced (Main)
6 Tbsp	Mascarpone

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. In a small bowl add goji berries and 2 tbsp Cointreau. Set aside to soak.
3. In a pot combine rice, water and vanilla essence and gradually bring to the boil whilst stirring, ensuring rice doesn't catch. Remove from heat as soon as rice has absorbed the vanilla water. Divide rice evenly between 6 individual baking dishes.
4. In a large pot combine milk, cream, sugar, remaining Cointreau and orange zest. Bring to a simmer then immediately remove from heat and pour over the rice equally. Divide date pieces between dishes. Place dishes on an oven tray and bake for 50 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, drain Cointreau into a bowl (retaining soaked goji berries) with mascarpone and fold together. Garnish each pudding with goji berries and Cointreau mascarpone.

See more of Simon's dream date recipes

• Dream date pudding
• Spinach and date salad with parsley nut dressing