Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

Everyone has a favorite childhood food memory. I'm not sure I can narrow it down to just one. There are the still warm chocolate chip cookies from the now extinct cookie counter at Bloomingdales... salty soft pretzels with mustard on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum... egg custards from the farmer's market... the list goes on and on. However, one fond food memory that stands out above the rest is my mom's rice pudding recipe. Granted, her version didn't involve macerating raisins in rum first and then folding in rum-infused whipped cream into the mix, but hers somehow tasted better. My version was was made with basmati rice and had a richer spice blend. It was tasty - still comforting, the way a food memory should be, but didn't transport me the way I'd hoped. Maybe I can convince my mom to make a batch the next time I visit...