Author: joepastry

Next Up: St. Lucia Buns (Swedish Lussekatter)

Also known as “Swedish saffron buns” in some quarters, St. Lucia buns are traditionally made and consumed on December 13th in Scandinavia (the Feast of St. Lucia). They are a type of brioche infused with saffron and enriched — or should I say further enriched — with a farmer’s cheese called kesella which we know as quark. They’re rolled into a “S” shape and baked in a hot oven. The result is rich, moist and extremely addictive. Let’s do this thing.

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Submit Your Rice Pudding Here!

I’ve received many requests to post rice pudding recipes from around the world. The trouble is I don’t know them. However many, many of you have described the rice puddings you grew up with, so…post them! Right here in the comment fields. Other readers will thank you for it. Oh, and please make sure that […]

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Making Rice Pudding

Americans often have a tough time making rice pudding since our long grain rice tends not to bake up well when it’s added to custard in its raw state. The solution: make rice pudding with cooked rice. The result is every bit as delicious, plus it’s convenient if you order out a lot of Chinese food. The individual rice grains tend to maintain their integrity at bit more — i.e. are a bit chewier — but I like the contrast. Here I should note that everyone has their own favorite version from childhood. I’m not putting this forward as the standard by which all rice puddings should be judged. It happens to be one I like.

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Where does rice pudding come from?

That’s a bit of a toughie. Grain gruels are the oldest prepared foods on the the planet. That being the case it stands to reason that rice pudding was first invented in China where rice was first cultivated on a large scale. However if I were to guess I’d say India, which not only has an ancient rice culture, but also an ancient sugar culture. Put the two things together and you have the basis or rice pudding as it’s now known.

What I find interesting about rice pudding is that its use hasn’t changed all that much over the millennia. Yes it’s delicious and nourishing porridge, but it’s also medicinal: good for people with upset stomachs. Ancient Asian and Middle Eastern peoples knew that, as did the Romans and Medieval Europeans, for whom rice was so rare and precious that it was in fact administered as a medicine.

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Rice Pudding Recipe

Like all custards rice pudding can be either stirred (made on the stovetop in a saucepan) or still (baked in a dish in the oven). Personally I like a baked rice pudding since you get a greater variety of textures: a browned top, moist center, firm sides…oh yes much more interesting than a typical stirred pudding. The recipe goes like this:

2 eggs
12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest (optional)
7.5 ounces (1 1/2 cups) cooked rice
2.5 ounces (1/2 cup) raisins
cinnamon for dusting

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Why not rice pudding?

Reader Dash writes:

Joe, I have a special favor to ask. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve been trying to make rice pudding and have had a terrible time with it. I know you normally do “interesting” things, but can I prevail on you to please whip up a quick rice pudding for me, just because I can’t seem to do it?

Dash, there are many who would dispute that my projects are interesting. But I love rice pudding and would be happy to make up a batch. Mrs. Pastry has been addicted to rice and beans ever since she spent time in the Dominican Republic in the Peace Corps, so we always have a little leftover rice hanging around. Let’s go!

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Making Palmiers

Under normal store-bought pastry circumstances palmiers are a very nice way to use up extra dough. When that dough is homemade, however, palmiers are poem-worthy. No other cookie is as light and lovely and delicious. Even “failed” puff pastry can find a welcome home in these delights. You can use whatever quantity of leftover dough you have. Roll it out into a rectangular sheet.

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Making Vol-au-Vent

In the long list of reasons why you should consider making your own puff pastry, vol-au-vent may not be number one (that distinction goes to cheese straws), number two (tarte tatin) or even three (Gâteau St. Honoré), but it’s definitely in the top five. It makes a killer first course to a dinner: light, buttery, crunchy and lovely to look at. Made with your own pastry it almost is almost as light as “a waft of wind”…which is what the name means in French.

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