Best Creamy Rice Pudding With Brandied Cherry Sauce Recipes

CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the cherries and the syrup or water in a small saucepan along with the sugar, butter and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. If using fresh or frozen cherries, reduce the heat and simmer for another 3 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring continually until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract.
• Cover and store in the fridge where it will keep for up to a week.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

EXTRA CREAMY RICE PUDDING

Steps:

• Rinse a large saucepan with cold water. Don't dry. Set on stove-top over medium heat. Add milk. Heat milk to boiling, over medium heat, stirring regularly. WATCH CLOSELY as it nears the boil! When milk hits the boil, it will boil up and possibly over. That's not a good thing.
• When milk boils, stir in rice and keep stirring until mixture returns to the boil. Reduce heat to a shade higher than low, or whatever level on your stove allows the mixture to gently simmer (bubble breaking the surface but not too vigorously). Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring down the mixture every 10 minutes (Important that you stir it down regularly and ensure that there is no rice sticking to the bottom of the pan. You will notice that the mixture has probably formed a skin on top. Don't remove it. Just stir it back in.)
• Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, use a fork to whisk together the cream, sugar, yolks, vanilla and salt. Set aside on counter while rice is cooking, leaving fork in bowl. Set out a ladle to use, as well. I like to do this after the rice starts cooking, so that the mixture comes to room temperature by the time it's needed.
• Once milk/rice has simmered for 30 minutes, continue simmering, but stir down every 5 minutes. With each stir, start testing the done-ness of the rice by tasting a piece. You want the rice to be tender (so no hard center). **Depending on the rice you used, your mixture may start to get thick-ish at this point, with little milky liquid left. If so, add more hot milk or water to the pot, just as much as needed to loosen the mixture up, with each stir. Watch closely and don't let the mixture get dry or it will scorch. Continue cooking, stirring down and adding additional milk, as needed until the rice is tender. Most rice is generally done at about 45-50 minutes of total simmering time. A lot will depend on how vigorously your mixture is boiling, so there is no hard and fast rule. Taste testing is the best indicator.
• Once the rice is cooked, slide the pot off the heat to avoid scorching. Re-whisk your egg mixture with your fork. Using the ladle, spoon out a ladle-full of hot rice/milk mixture, taking as much liquid as possible, but not to worry if you bring some of the rice with it. With the ladle in your left hand (assuming your right-handed, if not, reverse) and using your right hand to start whisking the egg mixture with the fork, start adding the hot mixture to the eggs A DROP AT A TIME, at first, while continuously whisking with the fork. Increase to a slow stream, while whisking continuously, until the entire ladle-full has been added. Get another ladle-full of hot liquid and slowly add it to the egg mixture as well, whisking continuously. Keep adding hot liquid until you've got at least 1 1/2 cups-1 3/4 cups of now warmed liquid in your bowl. Once you have reached that point, pour the warmed egg mixture into your cooking pot.
• Return the saucepan to heat, over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring almost continuously, just until a dime-sized bubble breaks the surface of the pudding. Pudding should be noticeably thickened and saucy, but still more sauce than rice (pudding will set more in the fridge as it cools). If liquid seems almost like milk consistency (rather than heavy cream consistency), it's too thin. Cook, stirring, a little longer. **Note though that you never want to allow the mixture to vigorously boil after the egg mixture has been added, as you may end up with scrambled eggs.
• If using raisins, add to the bottom of a medium-large bowl. When pudding is cooked, immediately pour hot mixture over raisins. Stir well to combine. Allow to stand on counter for about 5 minutes, to allow the steam to reduce, then cover bowl with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator. Allow to cool and set, at least 6 hours or preferably, over-night. Pudding will set as it cools. To serve, simply stir and spoon into bowls. Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon, if desired. If pudding is or becomes too thick, simply add a tablespoon or so of heavy cream to mixture and stir in. If you enjoy your rice pudding warmed, you can warm slightly in the microwave or a small saucepan.

RICE PUDDING WITH ALMONDS AND CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine milk, 5 tablespoons sugar and rice in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until rice is tender and mixture is thick, stirring frequently, about 35 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Mix in almonds. Pour rice pudding into 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan; cool completely.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until medium peaks form. Fold cream into rice pudding mixture in pan. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Cook cherries, lemon and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until cherries are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Discard lemon. Spoon pudding into bowls. Spoon hot cherry sauce over.

BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, water and lemon juice. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture slightly reduces and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy and pitted cherries.
• Transfer cherries and liquid to jar (liquid should cover cherries completely). Cover with lid; seal tightly. Cool completely, about 3 hours.
• Store in refrigerator 4 to 6 weeks before serving.

RICE PUDDING WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat rice and 1 cup water to boiling, stirring once or twice. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 14 minutes (do not lift cover or stir). All water should be absorbed; if not, drain excess water.
• Heat oven to 325°F. In ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole, beat eggs with wire whisk or fork. Stir in hot rice and remaining pudding ingredients except cinnamon. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake uncovered 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Top of pudding will be very wet and not set. Overbaking may cause pudding to curdle.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, mix 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in 1/3 cup water and the raspberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. If desired, strain sauce through strainer into bowl to remove seeds. Keep warm or refrigerate until serving time.
• Remove pudding from oven. Stir well; let stand 15 minutes. Enough liquid will be absorbed while standing to make pudding creamy. Meanwhile, in chilled medium bowl, beat whipped cream ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
• Serve pudding warm with warm sauce and whipped cream, or refrigerate pudding covered about 3 hours or until chilled, then serve with cooled sauce and whipped cream. Store pudding covered in refrigerator; sauce can be stored covered in refrigerator up to 10 days.

DANISH RICE PUDDING WITH DRIED CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook the rice, milk, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until the rice is tender and the milk is absorbed, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract, almonds, and sherry. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the pudding into a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. Whip the cream in an electric mixer on high speed (or by hand) until soft peaks form and then get a little firmer, and fold into the chilled pudding. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with warm or cold cherry sauce.
• Dried Cherry Sauce
• Place the cherries in a small saucepan with the wine, 1/2 cup water, and the sugar or jelly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the cherries are tender and the juice is syrupy (approximately 10 minutes).

DANISH CHRISTMAS RICE PUDDING WITH ALMONDS AND WARM CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Split half of the vanilla pod length ways, scrape out the seeds.
• Place the milk and vanilla in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat. Add the rice gradually, stirring constantly.
• Increase the heat and bring to a boil again.
• When the milk boils, reduce the heat, cover and simmer on a very low heat for about 1 hour or until the rice is cooked. Stir from time to time, making sure that the rice doesn't stick too much to the bottom.
• Leave to cool completely.
• Whip the cream together with sugar. Fold the whipped cream and almonds into the rice. You can add more sugar or more almonds if you wish. Serve with warm cherry sauce.
• Now make the cherry sauce. Place the cherries in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Add the vanilla pod. Simmer until the cherries are tender.
• Combine the potato starch with 2 tablespoons cold water.
• Bring the cherries to a boil. Remove the vanilla pod from the pot. Reduce the heat, and , stirring constantly, slowly pour the water with the starch. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
• Stir in the lemon juice and serve warm over the rice pudding. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf, if desired.
• * I used frozen sour cherries in this recipe, but regular sweet cherries should work as well.