Swedish Rice Pudding (Ris à la Malta)

I tried to add some traditional dishes from our heritage to our Christmas menu this year and this was one everyone liked.  Don't triple the recipe though... you'll have enough to feed a herd of elephants!;)

Swedish Rice Pudding (Ris à la Malta)

Rice pudding

110 g (½ cup) pudding rice (short grain sticky rice)

½ tsp salt

500 ml (2 cups) whole milk (full-fat milk)

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbsp powdered (superfine) sugar

1 packet of quick dissolving gelatine

180 ml (¾ cup) whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla sugar

1 almond, optional

1.      Place the rice and salt in a saucepan. Add 220 ml (1 cup) of water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2.      Add the milk and cinnamon stick. Mix well, cover and leave on a medium-low heat until the rice has absorbed the milk, which will take 30-45 minutes (stir every now and then to prevent sticking).

3.      When the rice is cooked, mix the gelatine packet in a few tablespoons of water and then quickly whisk into the pudding

4.      When the rice is fairly cold, but not set, whip the cream and vanilla sugar together and then fold into the cold rice. Taste and add sugar if necessary.  Refrigerate the puddings for at least 3 hours.

Raspberry sauce

500 ml (2 cups) raspberry cordial (syrup)

1 tbsp potato flour or cornflour (corn starch)

100 g (½ cup) fresh raspberries, optional

2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

1.      Pour the cordial into a saucepan and whisk in the flour. 2. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously, until it just boils. 3. Stir in the raspberries (optional) and the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Serve lukewarm.

**Doubled recipe makes quite a lot.