Vanilla Creamed Rice with Honey Cinnamon Syrup

Serves 6, Prep 15 mins, Cook 1 hour 15 mins

3½ cups milk 300ml carton pure cream ½ cup caster sugar 2 tsps vanilla bean paste ¾ cup medium grain rice 250g punnet fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced Toasted chopped pistachios, to decorate

HONEY CINNAMON SYRUP ¹/³ cup honey ¹/³ cup water 1 cinnamon stick

1 Grease a large, round, ovenproof dish (12-cup capacity). Place on a large oven tray. 2 Add milk, cream, sugar and vanilla to prepared dish. Stir in rice. 3 Cook in a moderate oven (180C), stirring every 15 minutes, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from oven. Do not stir. Stand for 20 minutes prior to serving. 4 Meanwhile, make syrup. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil. Gently boil, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick. Transfer syrup to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. 5 Just before serving, gently stir strawberries through syrup. Spoon strawberry syrup over hot rice. Sprinkle with pistachios.