Lemon Scented Italian Rice Pudding Tartlets Food

LEMON-SCENTED ITALIAN RICE PUDDING TARTLETS

Steps:

• First thing first, let's make the shortcrust pastry. Sieve the plain flour with the rice flour and mix them with the raw cane sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the diced butter and rub all the ingredients with your fingertips to make soft crumbles, just as grated Parmesan cheese.
• Beat the egg in a bowl, then add it to the crumbles and keep rubbing the ingredients with your fingertips until you have a nice and smooth ball of dough. If you have rubbed the butter and the flour thoroughly, it will take only a few minutes, and you won't overheat the pastry, which will eventually be crumbly and light. Flatten the dough ball with your hands, wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge.
• Now pour the milk into a large thick-bottomed pot and bring it to a simmer with the lemon peel and the vanilla pod. When it starts simmering, add the pudding rice and let it cook completely (it will depend on the kind of rice you chose: it must be thoroughly cooked, soft and sticky). Mine took about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar. Let it cool down completely.
• When the rice is cold, mix in 2 egg yolks, the baking powder and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Whip the egg whites and fold them gently into the rice pudding.
• Preheat oven to 170°C / 350°F.
• Roll the pastry with a rolling pin on a floured surface in a 5 mm thick sheet and line 16 muffin moulds. The fastest way to make it and have regular and nice pastry shells is to cut out some pastry discs with a glass as big as the bottom of the muffin mould and press them gently in. Then cut with a knife some pastry strips to line the sides of the muffin mould. Press the pastry lightly with your fingers to seal the bottom with the side stripes.
• Spoon the rice pudding into the pastry shells and bake for about 40 minutes (25 minutes will be enough in a convection oven) until the rice tartlets will be golden brown on the edges.
• Serve them warm or cold, with a dusting of icing sugar or some fresh fruit and yoghurt.

LEMON SCENTED RICE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon of salt, ginger, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Add the rice and cook until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the water along with the lemon zest. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Pull from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes undisturbed. Fluff with a fork season with some pepper and serve.

CREAMY ITALIAN RICE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Mix together rice, milk, sugar, butter and lemon zest and pour into a greased 4 quart casserole dish.
• Bake for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Serve warm and creamy.

LEMON & BLUEBERRY RICE PUDDING TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a circle the thickness of a £1 coin. Line a deep 20cm tart tin with the pastry, leaving about 2cm hanging over the edge. Prick the base with a fork, then chill for 30 mins.
• To make the rice pudding, put the milk, cream, lemon zest and sugar into a pan. Bring to the boil, then pour in the rice and stir. Simmer, covered, over a low heat for 15 mins, then uncover and cook, stirring, for 25-30 mins until the rice is cooked but retains some bite. Remove from the heat and stir in half the lemon curd and mascarpone, then leave to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, cover the pastry with a slightly scrunched sheet of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for 15-20 mins more until golden. Leave to cool, then trim the edges with a serrated knife and set aside.
• Whisk the jam until smooth and spoon into the base of the pastry case, spreading it out. Stir the eggs into the rice pudding and tip into the case. Bake for 20 mins until just golden and set with a slight wobble. Leave to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the compote. Combine the blueberries, 1 tbsp water and the jam and microwave for 1-2 mins, stirring occasionally, until syrupy. The blueberries should be soft but still holding their shape.
• Remove the tart from the tin, put the rest of the curd in a piping bag and pipe over the top, then drizzle over most of the compote. Serve with any extra compote on the side.