Creamy, lightly sweetened riisipuuro (rice pudding) topped with warmed prune compote, blueberry or raisin sauce brings back memories of my youth and also visits from my parents when I was away at University. My father, being Finnish, was raised with riisipuuro as a common dessert, and so my mother continued the tradition of making it frequently for us. So when she visited me, a couple times a year, she would always take the time to make a batch or two. It always brought me comfort and made me feel like a kid again. I have carried on this tradition with my family, and so now whenever my daughters are home, riisipuuro (rice pudding) is prepared, and we all feel the comfort of being home.
4-4½cupsmilk- dividedwhole milk is the best for the creamiest flavour
¼cupgranulated sugar
2largeeggswhisked
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonvanilla extract
optional: ½ cup raisins
optional: 2 tablespoons of butter
Per serving optional toppings:
⅛teaspoonground nutmegsprinkled on top just before serving
1tablespoonblueberry sauce
1tablespoonstrawberry sauceor strawberry preserve
1tablespoonprune compote
1tablespoonraisin sauce
1tablespoonmaple syrup
1tablespooncherry preservesor substitute your favourite preserve
Instructions
Combine the cooked rice and 3 cups of the milk and the cinnamon. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes or until creamy and thick. Make sure to stir often or the milk will form a crust on the bottom of the pot and burn.
To the whisked eggs add 4 heaping tablespoons of the hot rice pudding to temper the eggs.
Add one cup of the remaining milk, whisked eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cook on low for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Do not bring to a boil or the egg will curdle. If the rice pudding is too thick for your liking add additional milk to reach the desired consistency. Note: The rice pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. If using, add the butter.
Serve warm or cold topped with your favourite topping.
The rice pudding will be very thick after refrigeration. Warm in the microwave for 10 seconds before serving and add a tablespoon of milk if desired.
Notes
Recipe for a blueberry or strawberry sauce:
4 cups of wild blueberries or quartered strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
11/2 cups of water (I like my sauce a little bit runny but if you want it to be thicker you can use 1 or 1 1/4 cup of water instead)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (bottled or fresh squeezed)
2 tbsp of cornstarch (plus a couple of tablespoons of water)
In a 4-litre pot, on medium-high bring the blueberries, sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce to medium and cook for 5-8 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with some water and then pour into the pot. Boil for 2 minutes until thickened. Cool until warm and serve over riisipuuro!