This is such a simple recipe that apparently when I would request it for my birthday, my grandmother would lament that it’s too easy and not a proper cake. However, she loved seeing our response to this cosy comforting dessert. And as I said in the episode, I’ve struggled to find anything quite like it when travelling the world and finding various versions of ‘rice pudding’. This has no cream, has the fresh citrus hit mixed with the warm scent of cinnamon and there’s something about the eggs and baking it that produces a cheesecake texture, which I simply adore. Hope this becomes a family favourite in your home too.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups Arborio risotto rice
pinch salt
8 cups whole milk
1.5 cups sugar (can be brown or white – I’ve tried both)
6 eggs + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or a whole vanilla bean
zest of 2 large lemons
3 tablespoons cinnamon (approximately, just cover the whole dish)
3 tablespoons butter
METHOD
- Pour your rice and enough milk (about 2 cups) just to cover it in a large pot with the pinch of salt. You want to stir the rice and cook on a low heat until it’s pretty much soft.
- Add the rest of the milk to the pot, along with the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla. If using a vanilla bean, cut it open to release the seeds – I leave the whole thing in the milk to infuse it with flavour. Otherwise, you can just add the vanilla extract. Cook on a low heat, stirring for about 15-20 minutes until it thickens a little. It won’t become completely thick like a custard or like stovetop rice pudding.
- Whisk eggs in a bowl and when your rice/milk mixture has finished cooking, spoon tiny amounts into the eggs to bring the temperature up very slowly, whisking all the time. If you were to just pour the eggs into the hot milk now, you would have scrambled eggs. We want to temper the eggs, which means you’re adding hot liquid gradually and then when the eggs are warm, pour the whole thing into the rest of the rice/milk pot.
- Cook for one minute or so just to thicken then pour into a large buttered baking dish.
- Cover the top with a generous shaking of cinnamon.
- Dot little knobs of butter over the top and put in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C to cook for 25 minutes or until the butter has melted, the cinnamon is firm but the inside is still soft and creamy.
- You can eat straight away with some berries or strawberries or refrigerate. When refrigerated it becomes quite solid and can be sliced like a cake. I’m still undecided as to which way I like it best. I could eat it creamy and steaming from the warm dish or cold the next day when you really taste the lemon and vanilla.
