The cake wouldn’t absorb all of the thick milk blend, so the rest of it went into the rice. From now on we’re skipping the cake. A custom blend pumpkin pie spice mix and winter squash give the pudding a distinctive Thanksgiving flavor.
For the shopping list
grated winter squash
Carolina gold rice grits
water
sweetened condensed milk
evaporated milk
whole milk
vanilla extract
ground cloves
black pepper, freshly ground
cinnamon
golden raisins
bourbon
From the kitchen
box grater or food processor
chef knife
cutting board
4 qt pot
~ Jim Dixon, founder Wellspent and Real Good Food
Start by grating a winter squash. It can all be grated with the skin on, but the flinty hard skin of butternut squash must be removed. A food processor makes grating much easier.
Cook the rice grits with a pinch of salt in the water over medium heat, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Add the remaining ingredients, including the raisins and bourbon. Simmer for another 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mixture has thickened.
Transfer to a large bowl (or divide among individual bowls) and cool for at least an hour.