Recipe #4 and #5: "Family Style" Rum Raisin Rice Pudding and Flag Cake

So, I actually made the rice pudding last Sunday and the flag cake today.  I was planning on writing the rice pudding blog Tuesday night, but had to postpone as we were in the hospital with our lil guy who was having trouble breathing on his own.  He needed a moment to be on oxygen and regain his strength, but is back home now, and I’m happy to report that he is back to his happy-go-lucky self J

So first: the rice pudding.  I have to say that the thought of this recipe sounded kind of nasty.  I’m not one to oppose food based solely on texture, but let’s face it, rice pudding sounds just about as appetizing as tapioca…meaning not at all.   I think my husband said it best when he said “I think I don’t like it because I don’t think rice should be this sweet”.  Well put. 

The recipe itself was not that hard to make, with one key exception: bringing the half-and-half to boiling.  All was fine and dandy until I came to this step.  I put the half-and-half in the pot, knowing full well that I couldn’t crank it to Spinal Tap level of 11 and expect it to not burn or boil over.  So I put it on medium-high heat and watched it carefully…..for like 10 minutes.  I decided that the heat needed to be higher, so I increased it just a tad, turned around for like .5 seconds, and the next thing I know, the half-and-half is half in the gas burner (see below).  Lesson learned: be patient when bringing any kind of dairy to boiling.  BOIL SLOWLY!

Something must have gone awry (perhaps the boiling over) because the final product came out a bit soupy.  My rice pudding-loving mom said it had great taste, but that she could do without the raisins, and that it would be perfect with a firmer texture.  Needless to say, my high hopes of making a rice pudding so wonderful that it would blow all other rice puddings out of the water were dashed.  

And that was disappointment #1….

And second: the flag cake.  I have actually made this before, and it was a disaster.  But it was so long ago that I again had the high hopes that I could make the most fabulous cake for today’s super bowl party, with everyone ooohing and aaaahing and hoisting me up on their shoulders just like the winning team (which WILL be the Packers by the way).  I am here to report (before the game mind you) that this will not be happening.

I did everything right…..eggs, butter, and sour cream at room temp.  I was on my mixing game, doing it for just the right amount of time at just the right speed.  I sifted.  This time, nothing was going to go wrong.  Except it did when it baked.  As a result of the disaster last time, I decided to bake half in cupcakes, and half in a smaller (and accurately sized) sheet pan.  Neither came out good.  Both collapsed and tasted like eggy-sponge….exactly like last time.  Grrr!  No amount of super-tasty frosting was going to cover this up.  I’m not sure if it is a result of the altitude or not, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be attempting this one again. 

Disappointment #2.

The most frustrating part of both of these failed recipes is the time I put into them to have them not turn out to even minorly edible concoctions.  My confidence is just a little bit shattered, but I am hoping to redeem myself next week with a pumpkin banana mousse tart J 

Ps: not being able to accept these two failures, I made chocolate chip cookies last week and brownies this week (both from scratch) as consolation prizes for the friends and family awaiting my weekly trials.

Pps: I still need to research sifting (thanks to Karen L for the tip though on my previous post!).