I took the plunge and bought a pound of vanilla bean the other day off the internet. The vanilla arrived in a small box and was vacuum sealed in a plastic bag; it made me feel like our UPS man was a drug dealer.  The second I opened the box, my kitchen was instantly perfumed with the heady scent of Tahitian Vanilla. My excitement grew knowing how many recipes I could knock out with this vanilla hoard at my disposal. I quickly flipped through the latest issue of Donna Hay Magazine, knowing that there was a beautiful spread about rice pudding. I located the recipe Vanilla Ginger Crumble Rice Pudding and dove right in.

Creamy arborio rice mixed with vanilla beans, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with crumbled gingersnaps. It’s simple and comforting and it was exactly what I needed after spending the morning at a damp & foggy pumpkin patch surrounded by 3 year olds. Think dessert risotto with a slight ginger spike! I promise you won’t need a store bought air-freshener when you have the intoxicating scent of vanilla rice pudding cooking your stove.
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