Almond Rice Pudding with Spicy Cherry Sauce and Caramel Cream

Almond Rice Pudding with Spicy Cherry Sauce and Caramel Cream

Active: 50 mins, Total: 2 hrs, Yield: 8

Ingredient 

• 1 cup arborio rice

• 5 cups whole milk

• 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise, seeds scraped and pods reserved)

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• Kosher salt

• 2 cups Scotch Bonnet Cherry Jelly

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• ¼ cup water (boiling)

• 2 ¼ cups heavy cream

• 1 ¼ cups almonds (7 ounces whole blanched)

Directions

1. Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the milk and one of the vanilla bean pods and its seeds and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately stir in 6 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 pinches of salt. Let cool, then discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover the rice pudding and refrigerate overnight.

2. In a medium saucepan, keep the Scotch Bonnet Cherry Jelly warm.

3. In another medium saucepan, cook the remaining 1 cup of sugar over moderate heat, stirring, until a golden caramel forms, about 9 minutes; brush down the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush if crystals form. While whisking, slowly and carefully pour the boiling water into the caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.

4. In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat 1 1/4 cups of the cream until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold the caramel into the whipped cream.

5. Stir the almonds into the chilled rice pudding. In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of cream until firm peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold the cream into the pudding and serve with the Scotch Bonnet Cherry Jelly and caramel sauce.

Make-Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.