DESSERT PUDDING: In addition to enjoy "hot" rice pudding fresh from the oven, here are 2 variations of using it as "cold" dessert.

COLD RICE PUDDING:

 

 

 

1 quantity of basic rice pudding

1 large can apricot                                          

1 small can pineapple chunks

 

 

 

Drain canned fruits and reserve syrup. Put half of apricot through a sieve to make into puree. Add enough of the reserved apricot syrup to puree to dilute it into a thin sauce.

 

Scoop cooked rice into serving glass. Top each serving with apricot and pineapple pieces and chill for 2-3 hours. Drizzle in apricot sauce to serve.  

 

 

 

RICE IMPERATRICE:

 

 

 

½ quantity of basic rice pudding, see recipe

2 oz package of jelly powder, any flavour                 

1 cup each boiling water & cold water                                                         

2 cups whipped cream                                                

fresh fruits as preferred

 

 

 

In a large bowl, add boiling water to jelly powder; stir to dissolve completely, then add in cold water and stir well. Pour half of jelly solution to cover bottom of a large mould. Chill in refrigerator until set. Keep the other half warm to prevent solidifying.

 

Add a layer of fresh fruits on top of set jelly. Pour in the rest of jelly and chill again until set.

 

Warm cooked rice; then add in whipped cream and mix well. Add rice and cream mixture to the jelled mixture. Chill for several hours.

 

 To un-mould, sit mould in a bowl of hot water for a few seconds. Dry off bottom of mould; then quickly invert it over a slightly damp serving platter. Serve cold

DESSERT PUDDINGS: This is just another version of the basic rice puddding, with pureed fruit added for additional flavour.

RASPBERRY RICE PUDDING:

 

 

 

 

1 cup long grain rice                                       

2 ½ cups water

3 cups milk                                                     

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla                                                   

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 ½ cups raspberries (or strawberries) 

whipped cream, optional

 

 

 

Wash and drain rice and add it into a covered saucepan with the water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer rice for about 20 minutes, or until rice is soft and cooked. Add in milk, vanilla, nutmeg and ½ cup sugar, or to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring a few times. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a serving bowl. Alternately, bake rice in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed.

 

In a small saucepan, cook raspberries with ½ cup sugar 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat. Transfer to blender to puree.

 

Add 1 tbsp. raspberry puree to rice pudding to serve hot or cold. If cold pudding is desired, serve it with whipped cream.

DESSERT PUDDINGS: Rice pudding was a very popular pudding to serve after meals during my stay in the UK. I am sharing with you a my favourite recipes on that dessert,. This is the first one.

BASIC RICE PUDDING:

 

 

 

½ cup long grain rice                                      

½ cup sugar

pinch of salt                                                    

3-4 cups milk

1 tsp. gated lemon rind                                   

½ cup 10% cream

 

 

 

Wash and rinse rice through 3-4 changes of water. Add rice to saucepan with1 ½ cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat to simmer rice for 20 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Transfer rice to an oven-proof casserole; then add rest of ingredients, except cream, into rice. Cover with a lid and bake for 1-1½ hours, or until rice is very soft and liquid is absorbed.  Remove lid, add cream, and bake 15 minutes more or until the top is brown.

 

Serve hot.  Or, if preferred, cool and chill pudding before serving. Serve with extra cream if desired.

RAISIN AND RICE PUDDING:

½ quantity of basic rice pudding, see above recipe

½ cup raisins

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Soak raisins in milk for 30 minutes to puff and soften. Add raisin and milk into rice and transfer mixture to a casserole dish. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes to absorb the milk and brown top.

 

COOKIES: If you are interested in biscotti recipes, here is a good one.

PISTACHIO BISCOTTI:

 

 

 

 

3 egg whites at room temperature                               

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. freshly grated orange rind                                 

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup shelled pistachios                                             

pinch of salt

¼ tsp ground cardamom, or substitute with ½ tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

 

 

 

Prepare oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line with wax paper a 3 X 10-inch cake pan.

 

Beat egg whites in a large bowl with a hand-held electric beater until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until stiff.

 

Shift flour, spice and salt together. Fold flour mixture and nuts into egg whites. Spread mixture into prepared pan.

 

Bake biscotti for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool in pan.  When biscuit is sufficiently cooled, turn it out onto a cutting board.

 

Re-heat oven to 275 degrees F. Use a serrated knife to cut biscotti into ¼- 1/8-inch diagonal slices. Arrange slices on ungreased baking trays. Bake for 15 minutes or until dry and crisp. Turn out to cool completely on wire racks.

 

Store in airtight container.

DESSERT MOUSSES: When you have left-over whipped cream from the last dessert-making session, you can make use of it to produce this simple but delicious mousse.

ORANGE MOUSSE:

 

 

 

1 pkg. gelatine                                                

2/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup 1 % or 2% plain yogurt                         

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. orange liqueur  + grated rind of 1 medium orange

½ cup sweetened whipped cream                                           

orange slices to garnish

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle gelatine over orange juice in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir well to dissolve gelatine. Stir in yogurt, sugar, liqueur and orange rind.

 

Fold in whipped cream. Spoon mixture into large stemmed glasses or serving bowl; refrigerate until set.

 

Serve with garnish.

DESSERT MOUSSES: This recipe was given to me by my hostess at a house party. It is boosy and delicious.

MARGARITA MOUSSE:

 

 

 

 

1 ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk                            

 

½ cup plus 1 tbsp. Tequila

 

½ cup each orange liqueur & lime juice

 

1 tsp finely minced lime rind                                      

 

4 cups whipping cream

 

11 egg whites                                                              

 

½ cup sugar

 

superfine sugar for garnish

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl whisk together milk, Tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and minced lime rind   Whip cream until firm, gradually whisk milk mixture into cream. 

 

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, gradually adding sugar, 3 tbsp. at a time, beating until whites are very stiff but not dry. Fold whites into cream mixture.

 

Dip the rim of champagne glasses in lime juice, then in superfine sugar. Spoon mousse into glasses or pipe it in with a pastry bag. Chill at least 1 hour.

 

This recipe makes 16 servings. Scale down ingredients according if making less dessert servings.

MOUSSE AS CAKE FILLING: This is one of my favourite fillings for a basic yellow sponge cake, making it a light and refreshing cake to serve in the summer.

MANGO MOUSSE:

 

 

 

 

3 ripe fresh mangoes, peeled and stoned                    

¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp. lemon juice                                                     

2 cups water

½ cup whipping cream + 1 to 2 tbsp. icing sugar

3 egg whites                                                                

pinch of cream of tartar or salt

2 tsp. unflavoured gelatine + 1 tbsp. cold water

 

 

 

 

Cook mango flesh in a saucepan with water, sugar and lemon juice for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Force mixture through a fine sieve to remove any bits of fibre from the mango. Cool and chill.

 

Soften gelatine in cold water in a small bowl. Sit bowl in a pan of simmering water. Stir to dissolve gelatine completely.  Add gelatine to mango and mix in well.

 

Whip cream until soft peaks form, add icing sugar to taste and whip until stiff. Fold cream into mango mixture.  Beat egg white with cream of tartar or salt until stiff. Fold into mango and cream mixture.

 

Chill mousse until beginning to set; then use it to spread on cake layers as needed. 

DESSERT MOUSSES: Coffee flavoured mousses are as popular as the chocolate ones. Enjoy!

MOUSSE AU CAFÉ:

 

 

 

1 cup whipping cream                                                

6 tbsp powdered sugar

2 egg whites                                                                

1 oz coffee liqueur

½ tsp coffee extract                                                    

candy coffee beans

 

 

 

 

Whip cream until soft peaks, add 4 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff.  Mix coffee liqueur with coffee extract and add to whipped cream.

 

Beat egg whites until foamy, add remaining sugar gradually, beating well after each addition and continue beating until stiff. 

 

Fold egg whites into whipped cream carefully and mix in well. Spoon dessert into individual serving glasses and decorate with candy coffee beans.  Chill well before serving.

MOUSSE AS CAKE FILLING: This is an example of fruit mouse being used to fill sponge cake. Blueberries, preferably fresh ones, iare excellent fruits to be made into moussees.

BLUEBERRY MOUSSE:

 

 

 

2 ½ cups blueberries                                                   

½ cup icing sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice                                                     

1 ½ tsp. gelatine + 1 tbsp. cold water                                                  

2 cups whipping cream

4 -5 tbsp. icing sugar

 

 

 

 

Toss blueberries with icing sugar and lemon juice and set aside for 30 minutes. Dissolve gelatine in cold water in a bowl sitting in hot simmering water. Cool slightly

 

Whip cream until firm; then add in icing sugar to taste and whip until stiff.  Fold in blueberry mixture and the dissolved gelatine.

 

If the mousse is used as filling for cake, refrigerate until partially set, but not solid. Use it to fill cake right away then refrigerate until set before serving.

MOUSSE AS CAKE FILLING: Mousse is very versatile because it can be made into a variety of flavours. It can be made "firm" to be used as cake fillings, or "soft" as delicious desserts.

BASIC MOUSSE MADE WITH FRESH FRUITS:

 

 

 

 

3 ½ tsp (12 g) unflavoured gelatine                                        

5 ½ ounces or 2 ½ cups of fruit purees, or coulis de fruit

2 cups of whipping cream 

 

 

 

Chill the bowl and the beaters to be used to whip the cream.

 

Combine gelatine with about 1/3 of the fruit puree in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a saucepan of simmering water over low heat. Stir to dissolve gelatine completely. Remove from heat and pour mixture into a large bowl.

 

Stir remaining fruit puree into the gelatine mixture. Allow the puree to cool, stirring occasionally, but do not let it set.

 

Whip the cream until it hold firm peaks.  Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cooled puree with a rubber spatula. Mix in carefully. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.

 

Use the mousse immediately to decorate cake before it sets.

 

 

 

 

HINTS:  When making mousse with fruit having strong flavour, such as strawberries and raspberry, use less puree and more whipped cream. When using blander fruit like pears, use more puree and less cream.