When looking for traditional Christmas desserts for this month’s theme, this one immediately popped out with its beautiful christmas colors. Risalamande’s origins, despite its name, does not come from France but rather has a Danish origin, where according to 19th century legend, the invention of risalamande came about when a French cook at the Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen, had to improvise a dessert.
This dish then, in the 1900s, became a popular dessert in the francophilic Danish bourgeois homes during Christmas where the cherry sauce elevated the humble rice pudding. This dish was most likely inspired by the classic French dessert of riz à l’impératrice, or empress rice, which is more solid and shaped in a mould, decorated with raspberry jelly rather than cherries. So, if you wish, you of course are welcome to change up the fruit topping from cherries to raspberries or any other fruit you like. Speaking of which, if you have any extra sauce, you can use it to top some ice cream or cake and it should last for about a week or so in the fridge.
Another tradition associated with this dish is mandelgave, or almond present, where a singular whole almond is added to the dish and when the risalamande is served after Christmas dinner, everyone is required to continue eating the rice pudding until someone finds it. The person who finds the almond then wins a small prize such as a marzipan pig, a chocolate heart or a small board game, but the finder may keep this a secret for as long as possible so that everyone else is forced to eat the entire pot of risalamande.
Typically, this dish is served cold with warm sauce, but you are of course welcome to serve it warm up if you wish. But in either case, it should last in the fridge for about a week. So, if you wish, you may make this ahead to give you some more time to make the rest of your large Christmas dinner. But of course, you can always enjoy this sweet and creamy cherry-vanilla-almond dessert any time of the year.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 cups milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 4 oz or so almonds
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp vanilla sugar if you have some
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- Cherry Sauce:
- 15 oz canned cherries plus the syrup or 12 oz fresh or frozen cherries plus 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp Kirsch Cherry Brandy, or other brandy, whisky, or almond extract (optional)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water (to dissolve the cornstarch in)
- Some fresh mint (for optional garnish)
Step 1: Boil Rice, Lemon Zest, Salt, Sugar, Water, & Milk into Porridge
First, we’ll prepare the rice pudding, so in a saucepan, add in the rice, lemon zest, salt, 2 tbsp sugar, and water and bring this to a boil and then boil this for 3 minutes.
Then, add in the milk and return this to a boil.
Then, once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
Step 2: Prepare Almonds & Mix into Rice & Let Rice Pudding Cool
During this time, if you wish to use blanched almonds, you can remove the skins by boiling some water and then soaking the almonds in the hot water for 10 minutes or so, until you can remove the skins easily. This is only a visual thing, so you can skip this if you wish, but in either case, chop up or break up your almonds into small pieces, saving one full almond.
Then, when the rice is fully cooked and tender, and the liquid has been fully absorbed, stir in the chopped almonds and your one whole almond.
Then, let the rice cool and then chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Step 3: Simmer Cherries w/ Sugar, Cinnamon Stick, Lemon Juice, and Lemon Zest
When you’re ready to serve your risalamande, we’ll prepare the cherry sauce, so in a saucepan, add in the cherries and the syrup or water, along with the 2 tbsp sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon juice, and lemon zest, give this a mix, and bring this to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for another 3 minutes until the liquid turns to syrup.
Step 4: Mix in Cornstarch & Add Brandy & Thicken Sauce; Keep Warm
Next, dissolve the cornstarch in some water and mix this into the cherry mixture, remove the cinnamon stick, and simmer this for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
Then, add in the brandy or other substitutes and bring this back to a simmer. Remove this from the heat and let this cool as we prepare the rest of the risalamande.
Step 5: Whip Heavy Cream w/ Sugar, Vanilla Bean Paste, & Almond Extract into Stiff Peaks
Next, we’ll whip up some cream, so in a mixing bowl, add in the heavy cream and beat this until it starts to thicken. Then, add in the other 2 tbsp sugar, vanilla bean paste or substitutes, and almond extract, and continue to beat this until stiff peaks form.
Step 6: Fold Whipped Cream into Rice Pudding, Serve w/ Warmed Cherry Sauce, & Enjoy!
Then, when the whipped cream is ready, grab your rice pudding and give it a stir to loosen it up and then fold in the whipped cream.
Then, when everything is ready, serve the risalamande with the warm cherry sauce and add your mint garnish, and with that, your risalamande is ready to eat.