Serves 4

For the rice pudding

- A small knob of butter, plus extra for greasing

- 100g pudding rice

Food Festivals 2010

Get a taste of the year ahead with the UK's most comprehensive foodie events listings on the web

• The UK's Top 10 fish and chip shops 2010

BACKGROUND

• Toffee apple muffins

• Pear & Ginger Muffins

• Carrot and pineapple muffins

• Breakfast in bed

• Good morning muffin

Seasonal food recipe finder: February

Despite being the shortest month of the year February offers bright colours and new flavours

Related Links

• Easy as pie

• A type of tartiflette

• Chicken, leek and tarragon pie

- 600ml whole milk

- ½ vanilla pod, split

- 60g caster sugar

- 300ml double cream

For the apricots

- 100g caster sugar

- ½ vanilla pod, split

- 2 bay leaves

- 250g ready-to-eat dried apricots (preferably unsulphured organic ones)

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2. Butter a 1.5 litre gratin dish. Wash the rice. Put the milk in a saucepan and scrape the vanilla seeds into it with the point of a knife. Bring to the boil, then add the rice and sugar.

Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking. Stir in the cream and put the whole lot into the gratin dish. Dot with the butter. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, until the top is just set and browning.

Meanwhile, make the apricots. Mix the sugar with 250ml water in a saucepan and dissolve over a low heat. Bring to the boil, then add the vanilla seeds and pod and bay leaves. Bubble for 5 minutes until the liquid turns syrupy, then stir in the apricots.

Reduce the heat a little and simmer for 5-10 minutes to soften the fruit. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm in the syrup — if the sauce has gone a bit thick, dilute it with a splash of boiling water and stir in over a low heat.

Serve the pudding in bowls with some of the sticky apricots spooned over the top. Extra cream is advised, though not obligatory.

Times Recommends

• Seville orange and almond cake
• Gordon Ramsay’s aubergine bhajis
• How to make the perfect Thai green curry