Chocolate Rice Pudding with Rum 'n' Raisin Pears

Pudding

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup long grain rice
• 3 cups milk
• 250g PHILADELPHIA Block Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Pears

• ½ cup water, extra
• ½ cup dark rum
• 3 large Beurre Bosc pears, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar, extra
• 10g butter
• 100g CADBURY Dark Baking Chocolate, broken into small pieces

Serving Suggestion

• CADBURY Dark Baking Chocolate, extra, shaved for decoration

1. BRING the water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the rice, cover and cook over a very low heat for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.
2. STIR in the milk, PHILLY, sugar, cinnamon stick and vanilla and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes or until thick.
3. COMBINE the extra water, rum, pears, raisins, extra sugar and butter in a large frypan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until the pears are just tender. Remove the lid and simmer a further 5-10 minutes until the liquid is syrupy.
4. REMOVE the cinnamon stick from the rice and stir through the chocolate. Spoon the rice pudding into serving glasses, top with pears and a sprinkle of shaved chocolate. Serve immediately.

Tip: The pears can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Simply reheat gently to serve.