Coconut rice pudding with lemongrass-and-lime syrup

Serves 6

I'm a great fan of comforting, warming desserts, and nothing fits the bill better than a creamy rice pudding. Traditionalists would insist that to keep with the theme of the menu I should have made a chilled version, but like I said, I'm done with tradition this year and however much I'm trying to ignore it, it is winter after all.

200g/7oz pudding rice
1 litre/1¾ pints whole milk
75g/3oz golden caster sugar
75g/3oz desiccated coconut
400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk

For the lemongrass- and-lime syrup

100g/3½oz golden caster sugar
100ml/3½fl oz lime juice, plus grated zest of 3 limes
2 lemongrass stalks, bashed

To serve

4 passion fruits, halved and flesh scooped

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Place the pudding rice, milk and sugar in a shallow, oven-proof dish. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Stir in the desiccated coconut and coconut milk and bake for 40 minutes.

Give the pudding a good stir and bake for 1 hour, or until the rice is tender and a skin has formed on the pudding.

To make the syrup, put the sugar, lime juice, zest and lemongrass in a small pan over a low heat with 150ml/¼ pint cold water.

Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer then allow to bubble for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly reduced and syrupy.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Scoop the rice pudding into bowls, drizzle with the syrup and serve with the flesh of the passion fruit.