Arborio rice is essentially risotto rice. I use these short grains to make classic risottos but also for this most decadent dessert. It’s rich, creamy, and, most important, absolutely loaded with chocolate! When I serve this I make a very light meal so everyone has room to indulge and the pudding is the star of the show. It’s a good choice if you need to make dessert ahead of time, as it keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　5 cups whole milk

　　2/3 cup Arborio rice

　　3/4 cup sugar

　　1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)

　　1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

　　1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

　　1 1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur

　　1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

　　

Step 1

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, rice, sugar, and orange zest. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the bean to the saucepan. Bring the milk to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender and the mixture thickens, 35 to 40 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Remove the pan from the heat and discard the vanilla bean. Stir the cocoa powder and orange liqueur into the mixture. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

　　

Step 3

Spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 1/2 to 3 hours or up to 1 day before serving.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.