Rice Pudding with a Zing

I have grown up with the traditional rice pudding cooked and or baked with a custard base.  I tried an experiment (my science background made me do it) and came up with this great tasting dessert.  It was finished in about 20 minutes and was very simple to make.

Rice Pudding with a Zing

 6 ripe peaches peeled and sliced
1 1/2 T butter
1/4 cup sugar
seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean ( if unavailable use 1t of extract)
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 cup of Stonewall Kitchen Cranberry Horseradish Sauce  (reserve 1T for garnish)
1 1/4 cup uncooked white rice


Cook the rice in 2 1/2 cups of water. Do not add salt to the water.
Set aside to cool.

Put the peaches and butter in a medium sauce pan and start to cook on low heat.  Stir to insure the butter doesn't burn.  Add the cream cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Add the sugar, vanilla and the cranberry horseradish  sauce and continue to cook for another 10 minutes stirring to insure it doesn't stick and burn.  Fold the cooked and cooled rice into the mixture.  This can be served slightly warm or chilled if desired.  I used a dollop  of the cranberry sauce to decorate and a mint leaf would look great too.   Serve 6-8