To be completely honest, when I came across this recipe on King Arthur’s website, I was instantly interested in it. I had never eaten or made rice pudding before. As everyone knows, my addiction to baking TV shows is very strong, and it always seems like rice pudding is something that everyone has to make at least once a season. This felt like the perfect time to make something new and see if not only did I like it, but could I top it with something that helped this dish feel bright and summery as well. I landed on a quick raspberry lime sauce that I cooked up and strained and it was completely amazing! The contrast between the pudding and the sauce makes this dish a winner. This rice pudding also reminds me of the strawberry risotto that I ordered last time we were in Napa. It was my favorite breakfast dish of that whole trip. I am wondering next time I make this if I can find a way to turn it into a delicious brunch dish!
To make this recipe, I put the rice, milk, salt, sugar, and 3/4 cup of cream into a 2.5 quart heavy bottomed saucepan. Then I mixed it all together and placed the pan over medium heat until the liquid reached a simmer. I mixed the rice frequently while it cooked over the stove until the rice cooked and most of the liquid was absorbed. The stirring is really important because it helps to release the starch from the arborio rice and like risotto, helps to thicken the pudding. I felt like I wasn’t sure about when the pudding was finished cooking until I began to try the grains of rice. Once the rice was soft and there wasn’t any crunch left, I knew that the cooking was finished. After, I pulled the pot off the stove, I added the vanilla, vanilla bean paste and the extra 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream to the pot. I mixed this all together and let the pudding thicken and cool off the heat.
While the pudding cooled, in a small sauce pan, I added 1 cup of raspberries, 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice (I used bottled key lime juice because that I what I had in my fridge). I put the pan over medium heat and used my spatula to mix everything and smash the raspberries while the mixture cooked. I let the mixture bubble and stirred it frequently until the mixture thickened enough for a line to remain when I dragged my spatula through the pan. Then I strained out the seeds from the sauce.
Since this recipe was so new to me, I decided to serve it up two ways in these super cute wine glasses that my sister Andrea gave me. The flavor of the rice pudding itself without the sauce is rice, creamy and indulgent. The sauce on the top cuts through the richness and adds a little extra sweetness to the pudding. The brightness of the raspberry sauce really does make it taste like summer. I have to say that I really liked the texture of this more warm than cold. It can be served either way, but warm is much better in my opinion. I hope you give this recipe a try, I can’t wait to keep making it. I am pretty sure that I can make this recipe work for any season just by changing the topping to match. I’m thinking maybe a warm brown butter roasted pumpkin seed crumble for fall, some pomegranate seeds or chocolate something for winter and maybe a blueberry and lemon zest sauce for spring. The possibilities really seem endless.
Recipe: Rich Vanilla Rice Pudding with Raspberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- Pudding
- 1/2 cup of Arborio Rice
- 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Raspberry Sauce
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions:
- Place the rice, 3/4 cup of the cream, the sugar, milk, and salt in a heavy 2.5 quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until the rice is cooked and the milk is almost entirely absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Towards the end of cooking time, taste the grains of rice to determine doneness.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream, vanilla, and vanilla bean paste. Let the pudding sit for 10 minutes (it will thicken slightly as it sits) before serving warm; or chill to serve later.
- While the pudding thickens, make the raspberry sauce.
- Place the raspberries, lime juice and sugar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Over medium heat, stir and mash the raspberries while the mixture bubbles. Stir until the sauce is thick enough for a line to remain in the pan. Strain the sauce to remove all the seeds.
- Spoon the pudding into small serving dishes and put a small amount of sauce over the top and serve warm.
- Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Baking Company
