Deli-Style Rice Pudding

I feel sure that I've already posted a recipe for rice pudding, and yet I can't find it anywhere on my website, listed on the Internet with my name, nor in my computer.  How can that be when it is my husband's favorite dessert? It's a mystery...

I had meant to make it for my husband for his birthday, but we were in Seattle, celebrating with our kids, so I knew it was a must for father's day.

In any case, eggless, deli-style rice pudding, such as this,  is a very smooth and creamy tasting rice pudding. If you prefer it richer, you can use 2% or even whole milk. We prefer it less filling so that we can eat more of it! Both sushi rice and Arborio rice are excellent for rice pudding as both types of rice stay soft when refrigerated.  they're also both very starchy, which makes the pudding thicken well. I prefer sushi rice to Arboriothough,  because it bubbles up less, and is therefore easier to cook. It's hard to know exactly how much liquid to add to rice pudding, because it depends on the kind and shape of the pot you are using, the kind and age of the rice, the stove you are using, etc.  That extra milk you see at the end of the recipe, however, is a little insurance that I've built in to the recipe  It ensures that even if you've boiled away too much of the liquid your pudding can still be made perfect!

1 cup Japanese sushi or Arborio rice
4 cups water
1-1/2 inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise with one end still attached
1/4 teaspoon salt

5-1/3 cups 1% milk  (use 2% or whole milk if you like it richer)
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup raisins
1/4-1/2 cup extra milk (any percentage of your choice), as needed

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Place the rice, water, vanilla bean and salt in a 5-quart pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the 5-1/3 cups milk and sugar in another 3-quart pot, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and keep warm until the rice is done cooking. You can see that I'm using quite a large pot for this.

Remove the vanilla bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk mixture and then drop the vanilla pod back into the mixture. Ladle the milk mixture into the cooked rice, stirring gently to break up any lumps (now you can see why I needed such a large pot).

Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The pudding will be thicken dramatically in the last 5 minutes.

After 15 minutes of cooking, you can see that it still only looks like a pot of milk.

But, in the right-hand  picture, you can see that it has thickened and looks like pudding.

Stir in the raisins (If they are not soft and plump to begin with, add them about five 5 minutes earlier).

Spoon the pudding into a 9x13-inch glass pan, which will give it maximum area to cool down.

Let the pudding cool briefly and then cover loosely with foil and refrigerate until completely cool (about 6 hours).

The pudding may look unappealing when you uncover it. Don’t worry! Stir it up and add, if necessary, 1/4 -1/2 more milk to loosen it and to provide just a little bit of creamy sauce. It should feel heavy as you stir it, but not gluey.  When you have it the consistency you like, smooth it back out, grate some fresh nutmeg over the pudding and lightly sprinkle it with cinnamon. The pudding will now look yummy!

For a more decorative service, spoon the pudding into individual goblets or bowls and sprinkle each serving with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Rice pudding keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Do not freeze.

Bread Pudding Variations

That's Caramel Bread Pudding you're looking at in this photo.  But I'm also going to give you a variation for a lower fat version.  For the complete recipe for bread pudding, you'll need to see the prior post on bread pudding.

How to make the caramel:

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 cup additional water

Place the sugar, 1/3 cup water and the vinegar in a stainless steel pot (if you use a dark or nonstick pot, you  won't be able to tell when the caramel is the right color).  Heat the mixture on medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.  Brush down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pot with a brush dipped in water.  Increase the temperature to medium-high to bring the mixture to a boil.

(You don't need to use a pot this large - but it's the only stainless steel one that I own).
Once the mixture starts to boil, DO NOT STIR!  Swirl the pot, occasionally, so that no spot cooks before another, and cook until the mixture turns golden brown.

Tip the pan away from you, so you don't get burned, and pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of water.  It will bubble up and steam furiously.  Stir until the caramel is smooth.

Pour the mixture into the baking pan ( I prefer not to use glass, because I am always wary about pouring such hot liquid into glass, even if it is Pyrex).

Let the caramel cool briefly and then set it in the refrigerator or freezer until it's hard (15 mnutes if frozen and up to 1 hour if refrigerated).

Make the bread pudding as in the last post, or using the lowfat directions below.  You can eat the pudding 1 hour after it is made and the caramel will be syrupy and the pudding soft, or you can refrigerate it for at least 6 hours.  At that point the caramel will be a bit gooey and the pudding firmer (as in the photo above)  After 2 days in the refrigerator, you'll have both some gooey caramel, some melted caramel sauce and a firm pudding  - my favorite.  You can heat it slightly or serve it cold. 

Lower fat Bread Pudding with Lowfat Custard Sauce
9 ounces challah, eggy white bread or lowfat Italian bread (I've used Arnold's)
1/3 cup raisins
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-1/4 cups 2% milk (using skim or 1% results in a very soft-set pudding)

Make the pudding according to the directions in the post on Raisin Bread Pudding
Lowfat Custard Sauce
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 powdered cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 cups 1% lowfat milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 large vanilla bean, split in half, lengthwise
1 tablespoon rum or other liqueur, optional

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, powdered sugar and cornstarch.
Place the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla bean and rum in a medium pot.  Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Little by little, whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, adding more and more as the eggs get warmed. 

Pour the mixture back into the pot.  Heat on medium, stirring contantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer.  Lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute.  Pour the mixture into a container.  Scrape the vanilla seeds into the custard and discard the pod.  Let it cool briefly, and then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Tiramisu

For those of you who read the post on Passover Tiramisu, I mentioned that I was going to try using whipped cream cheese.  I also got the bright idea that a quick version might be had using packaged Passover mandel bread.  The whipped cream cheese did work, and I have added that to the Passover Tiramisu post.  The mandel bread variation, however was quite awful!  Oh well, it was a try.

For those of you who have never had Tiramisu, it  is a layered dessert, combining soaked cake with a cheesy, custardy filling. It’s usually made in a large pan and then cut into serving pieces, but it can also be served in shot glasses, custard cups or champagne flutes. It can vary in texture and flavor, at the whim of the chef. Some like the filling light, and some prefer a more dense, cheesy filling. It’s usually flavored with coffee, Marsala or brandy, and chocolate, but here too, there is a lot of room for individuality. My Tiramisu is a light version and I flavor it mostly with coffee, with just hints of Marsala and chocolate. Because there is so much room for personal preference in this recipe, I’ve notated where ingredients can be altered.

Just a word about mascarpone - it can vary dramatically depending on the brand and price point.  I recently bought some at Trader Joe's for about $3.00/8 ounces, and some at my local supermarket for about $8.00.  The less expensive was much yellower and had a slightly gritty mouthfeel.  It also curdled when I beat it.  I have since stopped beating the mascarpone and stir it instead.  The more expensive mascarpone had a much nicer flavor and a very smooth and creamy texture.

Serves 6

1 small package savoiardi (Italian ladyfingers – you’ll need 16-24 ladyfingers)
OR
Homemade savoiardi, recipe follows

Filling
8 ounces mascarpone
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sweet Marsala or brandy, optional

3/4 cup whipping cream (or 6 eggs whites, stiffly beaten with powdered sugar)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Soaking Syrup
1-1/2 cup brewed coffee -- hot
1/4 cup sugar (or less, to taste)
1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine, Godiva, Kahlua or Rum

Topping
2 ounces finely grated nondairy semisweet chocolate, cocoa, or a combination of the two (or more to taste)

For the filling:
Place the eggs (in the shell) into a bowl of hot water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (you are heating the eggs just to get more volume out of them). Remove the mascarpone from the refrigerator and spoon it into a large mixing bowl. Set it aside to warm up.

Crack the eggs, save or discard the whites and transfer the yolks to a large mixer bowl. Beat for a minute to blend, and then beat in the sugar. Continue to beat until the eggs are pale and thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the alcohol, if using it.

Stir the mascarpone to loosen it slightly. Stir 1 cup of the egg mixture into the mascarpone. Fold in the remainder of the egg mixture.

Place the whipping cream in a small bowl. Stir in the powdered sugar. Beat on high speed until the mixture forms firm peaks. Fold the whipping cream into the egg mixture.

For the syrup:

Combine the hot coffee, sugar and Marsala in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

To assemble the tiramisu, dip one ladyfinger at a time into the syrup, turning it in the syrup for about 10 seconds, until it softens but isn’t soft throughout. Place each, flat side up, in an 8 or 9-inch square pan, until the whole bottom is covered.

Spoon on half of the filling. Dip the remaining ladyfingers, as above, placing them on top of the filling. Spoon on the remaining filling. Cover the pan with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, sprinkle the top with grated chocolate, cocoa or a combination (adding in some ground coffee might be nice, too). The Tiramisu will be firm enough to cut into pieces, although the first piece will be hard to remove. Use a small square spatula to get the pieces out of the pan.

OTHER PRESENTATIONS
Individual tiramisu can be made in shot glasses, custard cups or champagne glasses. Make several layers as directed above, but add grated chocolate on top of each layer of filling. It will show through the glass and delineate the layers.

Savoiardi (Ladyfingers)
3/4 cup (75 grams) sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
1/4 cup AND 1/3 cup sugar -- divided
3 large eggs -- separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven (if you have a convection oven set the temperature to 375 degrees F.). If you have trouble visualizing size, draw the size of the ladyfinger on the curled side of a piece of parchment. 3-1/2-inches long by 1-1/4 inches wide is a good size (to simplify, make the width the same width as your ruler so you don’t actually have to measure.  You can also eyeball the size, if you are good at that).

Turn the parchment over, so that when you start piping, you will not be piping onto the side you have drawn on. Set the parchment on greased baking sheets (the grease keeps the parchment anchored so it doesn't go flying when you move the sheet).

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Set aside. Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed, adding ½ cup of sugar gradually. When all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to high, and beat until the egg yolks are thick, fluffy and pale in color, about 5 minutes.

Beat in the vanilla, if using. Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolks, but do not mix together.
Transfer the eggs whites to a large, clean, grease-free mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites, and then, using clean, grease-free beaters, beat the eggs whites until very foamy throughout. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, and beat the whites just until they form stiff peaks. Do not overbeat or they will be hard to blend into the batter. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites.

Spoon the batter into a pastry bag with a ¾-inch round tip. Using the template you have drawn on the parchment paper, pipe ladyfingers leaving ½-inch between each ladyfinger.

Alternatively, you can spoon the batter onto the cookie sheets using a regular oblong soup spoon. These will be fatter than the ones that are piped, but that will be fine. It is okay if they join together as they bake. Place the cookie sheet(s) in the oven, and bake the fingers for 4 minutes. Switch the cookie sheets so the bottom one is now on the top, and bake another 4-6 minutes until the ladyfingers are golden brown (you won't need to switch sheets if using a convection oven).

Remove the sheets from the oven, and slide the parchment paper onto cooling racks. Remove the ladyfingers from the parchment paper before they cool completely. Let the ladyfingers stand, uncovered, for a few hours to dry out. If using the ladyfingers within a day or two, place the ladyfingers on a cookie sheet, flat side up, and bake them at 400 degrees F. until the flat side looks toasted and firm, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. For longer storage, freeze the untoasted ladyfingers for up to 3 months. Defrost before using them, and then toast them as above.

Napoleons

I've been absent from blogging for quite awhile finishing up my new book on CD-rom,  and it's finally off to the printer!  It'll be ready for sale in about a month and I look forward to sharing it with everyone.  I'm headed  to Orlando on Sunday, but thought I'd post one of my favorite pastries before I leave.
Napoleons take a LOT of time to make, even if you start with pre-packaged puff pastry. BUT, they are fantastic to eat and to look at. When you make them at home, you decide how thick and creamy you’d like the filling, how sweet you like the topping and how many layers of pastry there are. You can eat them fresh, rather than having ones that have been sitting in a display case for 8 hours. They’re worth every minute you spend on them. The traditional napoleon has 3 layers of pastry and two layers of cream. The only problem with a napoleon that tall is that the filling tends to squish out when you try and put a fork into it. We prefer the two layer version that you see on the left of the picture. We also prefer to cut them into smaller sizes, as they are very rich and filling.

If you have enough refrigerator space, for the same amount of work, you can double the recipe and use the whole package of puff pastry.  It's hard to say how many this serves, because it depends on if you do a double or triple layer of pastry and how large you cut them (more details follow).

Vanilla Custard (Crème Pâtissière)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
2 cups half and half
3-inch piece of vanilla bean, split lengthwise with one end still attached
1-2 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream, optional

1/2 (17 ounce) package frozen puff pastry

Vanilla Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 tablespoons corn syrup

Chocolate Cream Piping
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

For the custard:
Place the cornstarch and sugar in a medium saucepan. In a small bowl, briskly whisk together the egg yolks and the half and half. A little at a time, stir the egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the pot and then add the vanilla bean into the pot.

Vanilla beans are supposed to be soft, allowing you to cut them in half and scrape out the seeds. If your vanilla bean is old and hard, soak it in a little bit of hot water until it softens, and then scrape out the seeds.  You can use the water for flavoring, as well.

Over medium heat, cook the egg mixture about 7 minutes, stirring constantly, in a figure eight pattern, to make sure that the eggs don’t overcook. Cook until the custard thickens and comes to a boil. Stir vigorously to get the custard mixed and smooth. Strain the custard, through a medium-mesh strainer, into a storage container. Immediately stir in the softened butter, piece by piece. Press a piece of waxed paper directly onto the surface of the custard.

Let the custard stand at room temperature until it cools slightly and then cover it and refrigerate until ready to use. If you like a lighter custard, just before serving, beat the heavy cream to medium-firm peaks. Fold the cream into the custard.

For the pastry:
The pastry needs to defrost at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. with a rack in the middle of the oven. If the dough has not thawed enough to open the dough up, let it defrost awhile longer. Unfold the pastry onto a lightly floured surface.

Cut the dough into 3 strips, using the fold marks as a guide. Transfer the strips to cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Using a fork, prick the dough all over to help it rise evenly.

Cover the dough with another piece of parchment, and then top this with  a baking sheet of the same size.

Set the pan in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and parchment covering the pastry. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown. Turn off the oven, leaving the door ajar, and let the pastries dry out for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. They can be made up to 24 hours in advance if stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

For the vanilla icing:
Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the vanilla and enough boiling water to make a spreadable glaze (about 3 tablespoons). Cover with plastic wrap.

For the chocolate piping:
Heat the cream in a microwave-safe bowl until starting to bubble, about 20 seconds. Stir in the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for awhile, and then stir until completely melted and mixed. Transfer the mixture to a small plastic-bag pastry bag  but don’t snip the tip yet. Tie the top with a rubber band or tie, and set it in a cup.

Assembly:
You can only make 1 decorative pastry top at a time, as the white icing must be wet when the chocolate icing is piped. Have a skewer and the chocolate icing handy.

Spread 1 pastry strip with the vanilla icing.

Immediately, while the vanilla icing is wet, pipe chocolate lines across the pastry (the distance apart is a matter of taste, but approximately 1/2-inch is about right).

Turn the pastry so the lines are horizontal.





Immediately, start at the top right or left of the pastry, 1/4-inch from the edge. Draw a shallow vertical line with the skewer, through the piped lines of chocolate.

For the next line start at the bottom, 1/2-inch from the 1st pass and draw the skewer tip upward to the top.

Continue alternating directions until the whole pastry has a herringbone pattern.

If making the triple layer napoleons, you will only need the one top. If making the dual layered pastry, cut one pastry strip in half and decorate one half.  Set the pastry aside.

If making the three layer napoleons, split one strip of pastry in half, horizontally.

Set a  whole piece of pastry on a tray that will fit in your refrigerator. Spoon on a thick layer of pastry cream (1/4-1/2-inch). Set one of the split pastries on top and spoon on another layer of cream.

Place the top pastry on the tray and refrigerate everything for 1hour.



If making the two layer pastry, omit the split layer and second layer of cream.

After the pastry has been refrigerated for 1 hour, cut the top pastry to the serving size you desire. Set these pieces on top of the stack, and then slice through the stack with a serrated knife, to make the individual napoleons.

Refrigerate until ready to serve, but serve within 8 hours.

* Note: I always double the recipe, because it doesn’t take much more effort to do a whole pound as a half, however, it does take a lot of refrigerator space.

Napoleons can also be filled with whipped cream or Cream Cheese Filling.

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake

In my last post  I made "Chocolate AlmondTriangles", and  talked about making the cake in a more traditional round shape, and simplifying the frosting.  That is just what I've done here (with a different flavoring for the frosting, as well).  Buttercream is usually one of the hardest things to make, especially for novice bakers or those with modest equipment.  Buttercream goes from the traditional method of trying to beat a hot sugar syrup into beaten egg whites, to beating the egg whites with the sugar, to using egg whites from a carton, and now to using Marshmallow Fluff instead of beating the egg whites from scratch.  Instead of spending 20 -30 minutes to make one batch of buttercream, you can probably do it in 5-10 minutes, and it's just as delicious as the real thing.  But even with this method, problems can arise, unless you follow the recipe carefully.  Make sure that you use only Marshmallow Fluff, and not another brand, as MF has nothing artificial in it except for vanillin. Instead of doing a random design on the top of the cake ( mine looks like ghosts or wisemen, but I was really just playing), it would be easy to write "HAPPY NEW YEAR" or whatever else you might like to write. Please note that if you want to pipe on any decorations, you’ll need to make more buttercream, as you really just have enough to get the cake frosted.

This recipe can now be found on my CD-rom or download: Amazing Desserts - A Photographic Guide to Better Baking. For order information, please click on MY BOOKS, above.

Magic Peach Cobbler

This very homey and easy dessert has more biscuit than fruit and not much juice. In fact it’s almost more like a mix between biscuit, custard and warm cake. Some of the batter stays “uncooked” and contributes to the pleasing custardy texture. You’ve probably seen recipes like this on the Internet. It’s the one where the biscuit batter starts out on the bottom and then rises to the top. I made 4or 5 versions of it until I found one that worked – in most of them the center didn’t cook, leaving a soupy, doughy interior that wasn’t very pleasant. And if you try to make it with more fruit and more juice, it doesn’t cook well at all. The best recipe was from Paula Deen, but I found hers too sweet and too fatty for my taste (although the Southerners who ate it, loved it). My variation on her recipe is what you’ll find here. It’s still firm and cakey, but it has a little less sugar and butter.

Serves 8

4-6 peaches, to make 4 cups of sliced peaches (see instructions below)
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
Fruitfresh®, or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups self-rising flour (or use bleached flour + 3/4 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons baking powder)
1-1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with a rack in the middle of the oven.

To peel the peaches, heat water in a pot to simmering. Have a bowl of ice water next to the stove, and a large bowl to put the sliced peaches in. Add the Fruitfresh or lemon juice into the ice water. Slide a few of the whole peaches into the simmering water and cook for 30 seconds.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peaches to the ice water. While you peel these, add the next batch of peaches to the simmering water. They’ll be done by the time you finish peeling the peaches.

It’s easier and safer to cut the peaches into slices while the skin is still attached (witness my bandaged finger!). Afterwards, you’ll easily be able to slide the skin off of the slices. Once the peaches are sliced and skinned, slide them back into the ice water.

Empty out the simmering water, place the drained peaches into the pot along with 1 cup sugar, and the water. Stir, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and microwave, covered for 1 minute.
Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the flour. Make a well in the center, and add the buttermilk, gradually drawing the flour mixture into the buttermilk as you mix it. It will be slightly lumpy. Pour the batter over the melted butter. Do not stir. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the peaches on top of the batter. Pour the syrup over the peaches.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the cobbler is nicely browned and if you poke it a bit, you don’t see any uncooked batter rising up from below.

Let the cobber cool for 45 minutes, and then serve (ice cream is nice!). If making ahead, reheat the cobbler at 300 degrees F. for 15-25 minutes, or until just warm.

This peach cobbler will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat it before eating.

I've been sampling tassies for the last 25 years and have always loved them, but they always left me slightly disappointed because I wanted something gooeyer. As you'll see from the article, I began experimenting with them after tasting Tiz Faison Benson's tassies. I've been working on them every day this week, as they'll be donated to the Charlotte Jewish Film Festival and will also be in my upcoming book (working title is Amazing Desserts).

I have run into several problems as I've tried to perfect the recipe:
When I made them gooeyer, they tended to stick in the pans and this caused the pastry to break, allowing the goo run out. Getting them out of the pans was my number one priority. The first trick was to grease the pans well. Secondly, leave headroom when you fill them so that they don't overflow when the pastry starts to expand, and last and most important, was to remove the tarts from the pans while the pastry was still hot. All of these techniques will be listed in the recipe.

Another problem was getting the pastry the right thickness. It was hard, at first to press the balls so that the thickness was constant. I solved this by using a tamper and also perfecting how to use the tamper to best advantage. Rather than press the tamper all the way into the ball, I found it best to lightly tamp the balls down flat first. This filled out the cup so that when I then pressed the tamper in more, the dough flattened out evenly in all directions. Getting the sides thinned was also a challenge. I found it best not to roll the tamper around the sides, but to just tamp it around the sides. These techniques will also be in the recipe. I'll make them one more time tomorrow to check the serving size, and to try out a variety and combination of brown sugars and syrups.