The picture says it all! I love the texture and flavor of a sweet rice pudding. Remember, portion control and no double dipping! By the way, the cherries are amazing, but don’t feel obligated to poach them if you are in a hurry. If you have good cherries, serve them fresh.

Serves 6

Ingredients

The Pudding

500ml (16 fl oz) milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scrapped with the back of a knife

100g (3.5oz) arborio rice

250ml (8 fl oz) thickened heavy cream

50g (1.76oz) sugar

Zest of a lemon

Pinch of salt

200ml (6 1/2 fl oz) cream, lightly whipped

The Cherries

750ml (1 1/3 pints) sparkling burgundy (sparkling red wine)

500g (1.1 lb) sugar

1 cinnamon quill

500g (1.1 lb) cherries, stems trimmed

2 limes

Method

For The Pudding

Bring milk, vanilla seeds and bean pod to a boil. Stir in rice and thickened cream, lower the temperature and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Add the sugar, lemon zest and salt. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Just before serving fold through the lightly whipped cream.

For The Cherries

In a stainless steel pan, pour in the burgundy, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the cinnamon and cherries. Cover with a piece of grease-proof paper, ensuring the cherries are submerged. Place pan over low heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the heat and leave cherries to cool in liquid. When cool, strain liquid into another pan and return to high heat until reduced by half and syrupy. Add enough lime juice to balance sweetness, then pour the syrup back over the cherries and chill well before serving.

Notes

Serve with Filigree Wafer, or omit the wafer to stay gluten free as it contains wheat.

* The cherries will keep for up to a month if well refrigerated.