Malted Rice Pudding Two Ways
Locals - cake orders for February open today- click here for early access starting at 10am! Mardi Gras schedule is in effect ;-) no driving on Endymion Saturday for me.
Happy Mardi Gras from New Orleans! The first parade rolled here on January 6th- we begin with a walking parade through the French Quarter dedicated to Joan of Arc. It’s a short season this year, so there are parades and events nearly every weekend until Fat Tuesday on February 13th.
In case you missed it, my online king cake class is available through Ash Wednesday - it's a series of videos and a detailed recipe that you download and own forever. New Orleans-style king cake is a simple bake that’s surprisingly difficult to get right. My recipe has been made hundreds of times by people all over the world (I think the farthest away was New Zealand!), and I’m confident even novice bakers will have successful results. Every year I add updates and new variations to the recipe, so if you’ve bought the class in the past just shoot me an email (bayousaintcake@gmail.com), and I’ll send you the revised class!
Malted Rice Pudding two ways!
To be totally honest, I’ve spent most of my free time the past month teaching myself how to sew a jacket from a pattern instead of, well, all the other projects I need to do, including writing this newsletter. I’m trying to make a full suit from scratch for my Mardi Gras costume this year, and it’s very hard! Last weekend, prompted by a setback in attaching the collar, I actually, physically, hung my head in my hands, a gesture I don’t think I’ve ever performed in real life. Yesterday I sat down to write the introduction to this recipe and my brain fizzled. So, I asked ChatGPT to write an introduction to a newsletter about rice pudding - here’s what it had to say:
Get ready to embark on a culinary journey that will tantalize your taste buds and transport you to a realm of sweet indulgence—Rice Pudding Extravaganza is here!
So, uh, I guess get ready?
For my recent pastry and dessert trend piece, I predicted that 2024 was going to be a big year for rice pudding, and while I’m sure there’s an element of confirmation bias involved, I really do feel like I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately - baked into pastry, piled into pie crust, or, in the classic manner, simmered on a stovetop:
With so many variations out there, I couldn’t settle on just one, so I began with my basic rice pudding recipe that I used to serve as a rotating special when I worked in restaurant kitchens, and manipulated the textures to two very different places.
The following recipe consists of a base that, with a few tweaks, can be served either chilled, or baked and brȗléed. I love it both ways! The first version has a fluffy, mousse-like texture, thanks to cream that is whipped and folded in after the pudding chills. For the second, I add egg and a little additional cream and bake it in a water bath until just set, then brȗlée the top for a crunchy finish. Both are excellent paired with fruit - candied kumquats, a spoonful of jam or marmalade, or warm roasted apples or pears would all be great. A little malt powder simmered in the rice gives it an old-fashioned warmth.
Served here with a spoonful of quince paste.
Malted Rice Pudding - the base
Quick note on rice- I tested this with long grain rice, short grain sushi rice, and arborio rice, and would definitely steer you towards the latter two. With this ratio of liquid, the long grain rice won’t sufficiently cook and will have a grainy mouthfeel.
I kept this recipe very simple but you can flavor it however you like- vanilla bean, cardamom, cinnamon, or nutmeg would all be delicious. You can easily halve the recipe as well if you’re not serving a large crowd- I always feel like rice pudding is best within a day or two of being made.
2 cups / 472 ml milk
1 cup / 236 ml cream
½ cup / 106 grams short grain or arborio rice
½ cup / 100 grams sugar
2 Tablespoons / 20 grams malt powder (optional)
Large pinch salt
Bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat on the stove. Blanch the rice for two minutes and drain.
Return the rice to the pot and add all the remaining ingredients. The malt powder may clump up at first, but will eventually dissolve as you stir the pudding. Bring the milk and cream up to just below a simmer, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for half an hour, stirring frequently, or until the pudding has thickened and the rice barely has just a wisp of an al dente center (I used this time to look up vintage belt buckles on Etsy, but you do you).
Let stand, covered, for ten minutes. At this stage, you could serve the pudding as-is, warm from the pot, or continue on for the two alternative variations (I suppose this is actually rice pudding three ways!). It will seize up a bit as it chills, so you may need to thin it out with a splash of cream if you’re not going to move forward with the variations.
Chilled Pudding Variation
Allow the rice pudding to cool completely in the fridge (it will firm up considerably). Whip an additional 1 cup/236 ml cream to medium peaks. Add the chilled rice pudding and whisk vigorously to combine. Serve dolloped in decorative glassware or bowls and top with literally whatever you want.
Brȗléed Pudding Variation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a three quart shallow baking dish with a little soft butter (you really could use any shape or size- you just want the rice pudding to bake in a shallow layer). Prepare a larger dish, like a large roasting pan, to act as a water bath.
Let the rice pudding cool to warm room temperature (you just don’t want it to be screaming hot when you add the egg). Combine two eggs and two egg yolks with an additional one cup / 236 ml of heavy cream, whisking thoroughly to combine. Add the cream/egg mixture to the rice pudding, whisk again to combine, and pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes (uncovered) until the custard has just set, with just a whisper of a lazy wobble in the center. Remove from the water bath. Just before serving, cover with a generous sprinkle of turbinado sugar and torch the top (or set it under your broiler until the sugar melts and caramelizes). I prefer this custard served warm or room temperature, rather than chilled - I actually brȗléed mine right out of the oven and it worked great!
Another note - for my latest version, I made a half batch and baked it in a small baking dish for a treat for my family of three. Before baking, I slipped several whole dried Flavor King pluots in the pudding in a bit of a marriage between a baked rice pudding and a Far Breton. If your dried fruit is a bit stiff, I’d plump them first - a big, soft, gorgeous prune would also be delicious (not sponsored, I swear!), or you could try a handful of sultanas or dried apricots. A little grating of nutmeg at the end is not out of place either. Bake and brȗlée as directed.
I didn't think you could improve rice pudding but the addition of malt sounds brilliant. Two of my favourite things.
How can I substitute the malt powder? Or make it myself?