Custardy Rice Pudding Cherry Compote Recipes

EASY CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Put the cherries into a wide, deep frying pan, add 150ml water, then bring to the boil. Cook for 15 mins, stirring now and again until the fruit is starting to soften. Tip in the sugar, stir until it dissolves, add the lemon juice and brandy, then bring back to the boil.
• Cook for 15 mins until the fruit has collapsed a little and the sauce is syrupy, smooth and dark purple. Spoon a little of the juice onto a saucer and leave to cool for 30 secs. Push it with your finger; it's ready if the syrup wrinkles. Ladle into sterilised jars (see tip, below) and seal.

RICE PUDDING CAKE WITH CHERRY-APRICOT COMPOTE

Steps:

• Bring milk to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in rice and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until most of milk is absorbed and mixture is thick but still creamy, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes (mixture will resemble thick rice pudding). Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Dust pan with breadcrumbs. Mix almonds, candied orange peel, lemon peel and almond extract into rice mixture. Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Stir into rice mixture. Cool completely.
• Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into rice mixture in 2 additions. Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and firm to touch, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool completely in pan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
• Run small sharp knife around cake to loosen. Release pan sides from cake. Place cake on platter. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Cut into wedges and serve with Cherry-Apricot Compote.

BEST EVER RICE CUSTARD PUDDING

Steps:

• Beat eggs and salt a little, add sugar then milk with splash of vanilla essence (optional). Put rice or sago in a buttered dish, pour over the egg mixture and sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg (optional). Set in a dish of water and bake slowly in the oven at 160 c (325F) until custard sets.
• Extra Info: The milk in New Zealand is not watered down, still has cream in it, making it a creamy rice pudding. If not in NZ or Australia, then you can use Half and Half. I also add sultanas (raisins) to this recipe on occasion, which I cook to plump, with the rice beforehand. Sometimes I dot the top of the rice pudding with knobs of butter in order to get a brown skin.

CUSTARDY RICE PUDDING & CHERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter a 1.5-litre baking dish. Put the pudding rice, sugar, custard powder, vanilla, milk and cream in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins until a brown skin has formed on the surface and the rice is cooked through and tender.
• Tip the frozen cherries into a small saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook gently over a low heat for 10-15 mins, or until the cherries have softened and the liquid has reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon. Let stand for a minute or two, then serve the rice pudding in bowls with the compote spooned over the top.