Serves 8 to 10
WHEN IT COMES TO COMFORT FOOD, PUDDING IS RANKED HIGH ON THE LIST. Scandinavian countries love their rice pudding, and making it is truly an art form. To gild the lily, they add a cloud of whipped cream and a pool of ruby red fruit sauce, taking something that can be eaten for breakfast and transforming it into a heavenly dessert. The slight differences in names and serving styles for this creamy, dreamy dish add to its charm. In Denmark, it’s known as risalamande and topped with cherries, while Norwegian riskrem and Swedish ris à la Malta can be served with raspberries, lingonberries, or cloudberries, or any combination thereof.
It would stand to reason that the classic midwestern potluck dish called glorified rice was inspired by Scandi rice puddings just like this one. And if you were feeling sprightly, you could take this recipe, up the amount of almonds, add to it canned mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, and several handfuls of mini marshmallows, and a fine bowl of glorified rice is exactly what you’d have.
4 cups/900 g whole milk
¾ cup/140 g uncooked arborio rice
½ cup/100 g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
2 cups/480 g very cold heavy whipping cream
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
½ cup/60 g sliced almonds, toasted and finely chopped
In a 3-quart/2.8 L saucepan, combine the milk, rice, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure there’s always a small bubbling happening inside the pan, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until thickened and rice is tender. Stir in the almond extract. Let cool completely.
In a large bowl and using a handheld mixer, combine the cream with the vanilla bean paste or extract and whip to stiff peaks. Add the pudding to the bowl and fold gently to blend. Fold in the toasted almonds. Spoon into dessert bowls and chill until serving.