Risalamande (Danish Christmas Rice Pudding with Cherry Sauce)
In short: Cold vanilla rice pudding folded with whipped cream and chopped almonds, served with warm cherry sauce, the Danish Christmas dessert with a hidden almond. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Resting
- 5 h
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 415 kcal
Risalamande is the dessert of Danish Christmas Eve. Cold vanilla rice pudding is folded with whipped cream and chopped almonds, then topped with warm cherry sauce. One whole almond is hidden in the bowl, and whoever finds it wins a small prize, though tradition says they keep quiet until the pudding is finished, to keep everyone else searching.
Instructions
- Rinse the rice. Put it in a heavy saucepan with the milk, scraped vanilla bean and seeds (or the extract), sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, then cook on low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is very soft and the porridge is thick.
- Remove the vanilla bean. Spread the porridge in a wide bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface and cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- For the sauce, simmer the cherries, water and sugar for 8 minutes. Stir in the starch mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until glossy and lightly thickened. Add the lemon juice and keep warm.
- Whip the cream with the powdered sugar to soft peaks. Stir the cold rice porridge until loose, then fold in the chopped almonds and the whipped cream in two additions.
- Hide the whole almond in the pudding, spoon it into bowls and top with the warm cherry sauce.
Tips
- The rice porridge must be fully cold before you fold in the cream, or the cream deflates. Make the rice a day ahead and add the cream just before serving.
- Whip the cream only to soft peaks and fold gently, so the pudding stays light and airy instead of heavy.
Questions and answers
What is the almond tradition?
One whole almond is hidden in the bowl. Whoever finds it wins a small gift, often a marzipan pig, and by custom keeps quiet about it until the dessert is finished.
Which rice should I use?
Short-grain pudding rice gives the creamiest result, and Arborio also works. Long-grain rice stays separate and gives a thin porridge.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Make the rice porridge and cherry sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep them chilled. Fold the cream and almonds into the rice on the day you serve it, and reheat the sauce gently.
How long does it take to make Risalamande (Danish Christmas Rice Pudding with Cherry Sauce)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Risalamande (Danish Christmas Rice Pudding with Cherry Sauce)?
About 415 kcal per serving, with 8 g of protein, 41 g of carbohydrates and 25 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 415 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Fat | 25 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 22 g |
| Sodium | 95 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
