Toasted Carolina Gold Rice Simple Syrup

• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons

In a small, dry sauté pan over medium heat, toast the rice until lightly browned and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the rice into a heatproof bowl. Carefully pour the simple syrup over the rice and stir to combine. Let cool completely. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar, discarding the rice.