White Chocolate Rice Pudding With Dried Cherry Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 3/4 cup medium-grain rice
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 2 cups Merlot
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1. : Combine water and rice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
2. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan. Stir seeds, pod, sugar, half-and-half, and salt into rice. Cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove vanilla bean pod. Add white chocolate morsels, stirring until melted. Let cool 5 minutes.
3. Spoon rice pudding into 8 individual serving dishes. If not serving immediately, cover and chill. When ready to serve, top with Dried Cherry Sauce, and sprinkle with almonds.
4. : Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, 27 minutes or until sauce coats a spon and is reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.

water, rice, vanilla bean, sugar, salt, white chocolate, almonds, cherries, merlot, sugar, orange zest, ginger

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/10/white-chocolate-rice-pudding-with-dried-cherry-sauce-recipe.html (may not work)