Bulgur Pudding with Fruits and Nuts

This recipe in the LA Times caught my eye because I still had half a cup of bulgur in the pantry and no plans to make tabouli anytime soon.  It's a lot like steel-cut oatmeal when you get all fancy and put cool stuff in it.  I didn't like some of the ingredients they suggested, so I changed it up for this post.  Like oatmeal, feel free to put in whatever you like.  This is just my suggestion.

The original recipe calls for rosewater, being middle-eastern in origin.  If I ever see it somewhere, I'll pick up a bottle.  Instead, I steeped a pinch of dried lavender in a tablespoon of hot water to make lavender water.  There's so much fruit in this recipe, the floral note didn't make much of a difference.  It's up to you how much effort (and gas) you want to exert to get an obscure ingredient.  If something is expensive or I don't think I'll ever use it again, I either skip it or find a substitute.

Yes, there are a million little ingredients in this.  I raided the bins at Sprouts.  And yet, I put in fewer garnishes than the original recipe did.

*1/2 C #2 or #3 bulgur
3/4 C water
pinch of salt
1 C milk, plus more as needed
1/4 C sliced almonds
1/4 C macadamia nuts
4 dried apricots, diced
1 Tb sugar
1 Tb honey
1/4 C raisins
1 Tb rosewater (optional)
1 small orange
1/2 C blueberries
*cinnamon for garnish

1.  Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in bulgur and return to a boil.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 C milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to avoid scorching.  Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring often, until the bulgur absorbs most of the milk, 12 to 15 minutes.

2.  While the bulgur is simmering, dice the apricots.  Peel the orange and dice, setting it aside for garnish.  If making your own rosewater or lavender water, steep that now.

3.  When bulgur is no longer soupy, remove from heat.  Stir in sugar, honey raisins, apricots, and nuts.  Stir in rosewater.  If too thick, put back on heat and add more milk a tablespoon at a time and stir until heated through.

4.  Divide pudding between serving bowls and garnish with orange pieces, blueberries, and cinnamon.  If serving hot, serve immediately.  Or, you can put it in the fridge and wait for it to set up.  Served cold, it has a texture like a crunchy flan or rice pudding.  If you do plan to serve it as a dessert, you should probably add a bit more sugar and make smaller portions in pudding cups or ramekins.

Serves 2 as breakfast, 3 or 4 as dessert

Difficulty rating :)