Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Sütlaç, the rice pudding of Turkey, is the dessert that tastes like childhood to almost everyone who grew up there. Short-grain rice simmers slowly in milk until the grains soften and the milk turns thick and creamy, sweetened lightly with sugar and finished with a hint of vanilla. The baked version, fırın sütlaç, is the favorite, with its signature caramel-flecked surface. Served cool from clay bowls with a dusting of cinnamon, it ends meals quietly and perfectly.

Creamy rice, cinnamon-kissed

The pudding is dense and silky, with soft rice grains suspended in sweet, milky cream and a caramel-touched skin on top from the oven. It is gentle and soothing, never cloying, the kind of dessert that finishes a meal without a fuss. Stir often while cooking so the milk does not scorch, and let the bowls cool completely before they hit the fridge. It keeps for three days chilled, though the skin is best enjoyed on the first day.

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