Risalamande Recipe
Risalamande (ris a la mande - rice with almonds) is one of the Danish Christmas desserts. Risalamande can very simply be summarized as Danish rice pudding. Unlike Turkish-style rice pudding, it is cooked in a thicker way and then mixed with chopped almonds and whipped cream and finally crowned with sour cherry sauce.
It tastes like the rice pudding we are used to, but its consistency is quite different. With the effect of whipped cream, it has a foamy texture like mousse. The sourness of the sour cherry is very, very good.
I have had the chance to taste many different Christmas desserts from many different countries. To be honest, risalamande is by far the best of them all. I can count oliebollen in the second place and panettone in the third place. The main difference that distinguishes Risalamande from oliobollen and panettone and many other Christmas desserts is that it is not a pastry. Risalamande is a sweet dessert that can be enjoyed at Christmas and other times, as it is a very light milky dessert.
Unshelled, unsalted and raw almonds are used in Risalamande. It's important. Roasted and/or salty almonds are not suitable for this and any other dessert.
You can prepare the Risalamande a day in advance, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container and serve it the next day. It is also a recipe suitable for freezing. But I recommend doing this only if you have to. Although there is no harm in freezing, its taste and consistency will not be like freshly cooked.
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of rice,
- 500 ml of milk,
- 1/2 cup of water,
- 3/4 cup chopped shelled almonds,
- 2 tablespoons of sugar,
- Ground vanilla with the tip of the knife.
For the cream;
- 250 ml of heavy cream,
- 2 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar.
For the sauce;
- 1 cup pitted cherries,
- 1 teaspoon of starch,
- 1/3 cup of water.
Preparation
- Place the washed and drained rice and water in a sauce pan on the stove,
- When the water starts to boil, add milk, sugar and ground vanilla and mix,
- Cook on low heat with the lid closed, stirring occasionally, until the rice swells and bursts,
- Take it off the stove, add the almonds and mix, let it cool,
- Meanwhile, for the sauce, take the cherries into a sauce pan,
- Mix starch and water and add into the pan,
- Add sugar,
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens,
- Remove from heat and let it cool
- After the rice pudding has cooled, beat the heavy cream in a narrow and deep bowl until it starts to thicken,
- Add powdered sugar and whip until completely thickened,
- Add the whipped cream to the rice pudding and mix,
- Divide the mixture into serving bowls,
- Spread the sauce over them,
- After resting in the refrigerator for an hour, serve cold.
Enjoy...