• All Clad Dutch Oven

Arroz con leche is one of the most comforting desserts in Mexican cooking — cinnamon, milk, rice, warmth. But texture matters. Instead of simmering rice directly in milk, I build a cinnamon crème anglaise and fold in jasmine rice for a silky, custard-like finish that stays creamy instead of gluey. This version keeps the cinnamon, vanilla, and nostalgia of traditional arroz con leche — just with more control and a smoother result. In this video I walk you through: • How to cook the rice without overcooking • How to build a cinnamon crème anglaise • How to balance sweetness, spice, and dairy richness • How to keep it creamy for days *ARROZ CON LECHE // MEXICAN RICE PUDDING* YIELD: 3 QTS 420g Jasmine rice 980g whole milk 250g sugar 8g Diamond Crystal kosher salt 14g Mexican cinnamon, whole 1,180g water 820g cinnamon (canela) crème anglaise (recipe below) Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an icebath. In a small mixing bowl, rinse the rice in cold water and strain it. Repeat the process until the water is clear. Drain the rice well. Add rice + 1,180g water to saucepan. Bring to simmer, stir, shut off immediately. Drain. Return rice to saucepan. Add milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and 680g water. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover tightly with foil, transfer to oven. Bake ≈25 mins until tender but not overcooked. Remove cinnamon stick. Transfer rice to ice bath and cool while stirring. Fold in cinnamon crème anglaise. Refrigerate 2 hours. Keeps 3–4 days. *CINNAMON CREME ANGLAISE* YIELD: 1.5 QTS 970g heavy cream 490g whole milk 60g Mexican cinnamon, toasted 220g sugar 20g vanilla extract 60g sugar 100g whole eggs (around 2 eggs) 152g egg yolks (around 10 yolks) Prepare an icebath with a strainer. In an appropriately sized saucepan, combine the cream, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and the 220g of sugar and heat over medium-high heat while stirring until the mixture steams. Do not simmer! Once the mix steams, remove from heat and allow to steep for 15 mins. Strain though a medium-mesh strainer, and return to a clean saucepan. Combine the eggs, egg yolks and 60g of sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Bring the cream mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat and shut off. In a thin, steady stream, pour about 1 cup of the cream mixture into the egg while whisking constantly. Once well incorporated, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, set over medium heat and cook while stirring with a nonstick spatula until the anglaise thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and/or it registers 180F on an instant read thermometer. Strain into ice bath. Keeps 3–4 days. or 3 months in freezer. You will have leftover anglaise, use this to fold into the rice pudding as needed to adjust texture. 👇 *CHAPTERS* 00:00 Rice Pudding intro 00:12 What's the twist? 00:24 Canela Creme Anglaise 06:17 Strain and Cool Creme Anglaise 07:15 Blanching the Rice 09:10 Build Flavors with Rice 09:50 Bake the Rice 10:00 Chill the Rice 10:50 Fold in Creme Anglaise 11:50 Let it rest and chill 12:10 Taste Test 13:00 Serve up the Arroz con Leche 🔪 *TOOLS I USED* • Mixing Bowls: [affiliate link] • Countertop Oven: https://amzn.to/4cwBZMT • Instant read thermometer: https://amzn.to/4cwBZMT • All Clad Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/4rq6IzS • Mesh Strainer: https://amzn.to/3MolbNz • Silicone Spatula: https://amzn.to/40csNpv 📌 *FOLLOW* IG: @goatboyintl TikTok: @goatboyintl Full recipe blog: https://www.jonathanzaragoza.com #arrozconleche #mexicandessert #ricepudding