Maya Mediterranean Chocolate Rice Pudding ...

Directions

1. Place the achiote in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with 2 qts water, and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 min. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl; reserve the liquid. You can save the achiote seeds and grind them to use in a seasoning mix, or possibly steep them in the liquid for another recipe.
2. Rinse the rice in cool water till the water runs clear. Place in a heavy-bottomed 4-qt saucepan with the reserved achiote infusion, salt, and the spice bag. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 to 25 min, uncovered, till the rice is soft, about 20 to 25 min.
3. To Finish: Stir in the whole lowfat milk and condensed lowfat milk. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 min. Stir in the chocolate and mix to heat proportionately. Cook for 40 min, stirring occasionally, till creamy but still fluid.
4. Half way through the cooking, split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a small sharp knife and scrape the seeds into the mix. Add in the vanilla bean and stir to incorporate.
5. When the pudding is done but still loose-textured, remove the spice bag and vanilla bean. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with grnd cinnamon. Serve with cinnamon or possibly cacao cookies.
6. This recipe yields 8 to 12 servings.
7. Description: "(Arroz Con Leche Y Chocolate)"