Pre-cook the rice and heat up the milk. In a small saucepan, add 1/2 a cup of white rice and 1/3 a cup of water. Stir, cover with a lid, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow the rice to cook until all of the water is absorbed. At this step, we are only partially cooking the rice. The rice will continue to cook once it's added to the milk. At the same time, in a separate large pot, heat up the milk and cream over medium-low heat.

Add in the rice. Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add the rice to the pot with the warmed milk. Stir with a wooden spoon and then cook the rice with the milk for about ten minutes or until the rice is soft. Leave the pot uncovered. Stir occasionally and keep the heat on medium-low so that the milk doesn't rise and spill over.

Incorporate sugar, citrus, and vanilla. Once the rice has cooked with the milk, add in the orange rind, lemon rind, sugar, vanilla extract, and brandy. You can also add in a cinnamon stick at this point too. Continue to stir once you've added the sugar because otherwise, the bottom of the pot may burn. Keep the heat on medium-low so that the milk doesn't burn or rise. Cook the rice pudding for about 25 minutes uncovered.

Add in the cornstarch. Mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of milk, cream, or water so that it becomes liquid. Increase the heat of the rice pudding so that there is a little bit of a boil, and then add in the cornstarch. Stir continuously for a few minutes until the rice pudding thickens. Remove the lemon rind, orange rind, and cinnamon stick. Use a ladle to scoop the rice pudding into bowls, sprinkle with cinnamon, and enjoy the rice pudding warm or allow it to cool to room temperature. Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator or in an airtight container.