Risalamande
Risalamande is a traditional Danish Christmas dessert, a creamy rice pudding enriched with whipped cream and almonds. It is typically served chilled and topped with a warm cherry sauce, with a whole almond hidden in one serving for a fun surprise.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 0.5 cup Water
- 4 cups Whole milk
- 1 Vanilla bean(seeds scraped, or 1.5 tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 tbsp Sugar(for rice pudding, plus more for cherries)
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 cup Blanched almonds(chopped, plus 1 whole almond for hiding)
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Powdered sugar(for whipped cream)
- 2 cups Frozen cherries(for cherry sauce)
- 0.25 cup Sugar(for cherry sauce)
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch(mixed with 2 tbsp cold water for cherry sauce)
- 1 tsp Lemon juice(for cherry sauce)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the rice pudding: In a medium saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add milk, vanilla seeds (or extract), 2 tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and pudding is thick. Stir in chopped almonds and let cool completely.
⏱️ 35-40 minutes - 2
Prepare the cherry sauce: In a small saucepan, combine frozen cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water to form a slurry. Stream the slurry into the simmering cherries, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes more. Keep warm.
⏱️ 10 minutes - 3
Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream with 2 tbsp powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
⏱️ 3 minutes - 4
Combine and chill: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled rice pudding mixture. Stir in the whole almond, hiding it in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled.
⏱️ 1 hour - 5
Serve: Spoon the chilled Risalamande into individual serving bowls. Top generously with the warm cherry sauce. The person who gets the whole almond wins a prize!
💡 Tip: Ensure the rice pudding is completely cool before folding in the whipped cream to prevent it from deflating.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using Arborio rice gives the pudding a lovely creamy texture.
- ✓The whole almond is a fun tradition; make sure to announce if someone finds it!
- ✓Risalamande can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
🔄 Variations
- Some recipes add a splash of rum or amaretto to the rice pudding.
- For a simpler version, use canned pitted cherries and thicken with cornstarch.