Some desserts are like hugs. And Risalamande? It is just that. A cool, rich, comforting dish, which gives a timely whimper of celebration, at the conclusion of a Danish Christmas meal, in and of itself. Nothing fancy about that, just creamy rice pudding blended in with the whipped cream, a sprinkling of chopped almonds and the shiny cherry sauce drizzled on top reminds you of the joy spilling over a bowl
As far as I am concerned, in my kitchen, it does not matter whether it is the month of December to prepare Risalamende. I admit, occasionally I would kill to get a taste of that spoonful of nostalgia, the cold cream besides the warm cherry, almond crunch, comfort. It is easy, sure. Yet somehow it is an extraordinarily special thing
About Risalamande
The origins of this dessert originate in France, or rather, the name is French. Risalamande is just rice with golden almonds. But the food? That is Danish tradition in the raw. It was initially launched in the 1800s as a variation of the warm rice porridge named risengrὁud, a far less grand and very simple dish typically consumed with butter, cinnamon and sugar
Danish cooks fancied it up over a long period of time. They began to allow the porridge to cool, and then added whipped cream and then vanilla and chopped almonds it and then poured cherry sauce on top of it. And, bang! There was Risalamande, a cold, creamy variant, that still stands as an honourable feature of Danish Christmas dinner tables even today.
It is something to do with fun, but not only about taste as well. One whole almond is hidden in the dessert bowl. The person who finds it wins a small gift or prize. So when you eat it, there’s this lighthearted excitement — everyone pretending not to look while secretly hunting for that almond!
Ingredients
For the rice pudding base:
- 3/4 cup short-grain white rice (Arborio; pudding rice)
It can be substituted with: Jasmine or sushi rice when required
- 4 cups whole milk
Or use: Oat milk or almond milk for a dairy-free version (but results will be less creamy)
- Pinch of salt
For the cream mixture:
- 1 to 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped blanched almonds
Want it nut-free? Use roasted coconut flakes or skip entirely
For the cherry sauce:
- 1 jar or can cherry compote (Danish brands preferred) or make your own: Simmer frozen cherries, sugar, sprinkle of lemon juice and thicken with a bit of cornstarch
For the tradition:
- 1 whole almond, hidden inside the pudding
Optional but fun! Whoever finds it wins a little gift
When to Serve It
Traditionally, Risalamande is the grand finale at Christmas Eve dinner in Denmark. But really, you can serve it:
- When you want something warming up during cold winter nights
- During Christmas parties or potlucks
- After a complete roast dinner
- Or even as a Valentine’s treat — that cherry sauce is pure romance
It’s best served cold, so it’s great for make-ahead situations too.
Instructions
Step 1 : In a heavy bottomed saucepan put 4 cups of whole milk and 34 cup of short-grain rice.
- Gently stir it and simmer over a medium heat
- Put a little salt
- Simmer roughly 30-40 minutes without a cover, you should constantly stir it, especially at the end. It should thicken nicely and the rice should be soft
Tip: Don’t walk away too long — milk-based rice pudding likes attention
Step 2 : After having been cooked, leave the rice pudding to cool until it reaches room temperature
And keep it in fridge 1-2 hours or till it is cold
Step 3 : With a cold mixing bowl beat 11/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks are formed.
Add 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, stirring until fully dissolved
Step 4 : Fold the whipped cream into the refrigerated rice pudding very gingerly.Mix in a half cup of almonds that have been cut up and blanched
Don’t forget to tuck in the whole almond somewhere in there if you’re doing the prize tradition!
Don’t overmix — you want it light, airy, and dreamy.
Step 5 :Gently reheat the cherry compote in a small saucepan just until warmed through—no need to boil
One can also increase it a bit by the use of some cornstarch in case it is to be thickened
Risalamande Service
- Put the creamy rice stuffing in some small bowls or a big serving dish
- Just as we sat down the cherry sauce flowed hot over it
- Bead with a sprig of mint, or, after being fanciful, a sprig or two of lightly toasted almonds
- Cool, creamy pudding paired with warm cherry sauce is a match made in heaven—hot and cold, tart and sweet, all in one spoonful. And it is beautiful, so homelike, too, like a scarf of silk thrown over your most loved anti-fashion sweater
Precautions
- Hurrying the rice: Unless the rice is tender and soft, the dessert would not be smooth. Have it cook slow and low.
- Folding in whipped creams on warm rice : This oversight of hot pudding must be avoided whenever possible. It will dissolve and lose the fluff.
- Omitting the chilling time: It gets time to settle and develop the flavors as it spends its time in the fridge.
- Almond exces : Less is the best. Almonds which are chopped need to surprise and not intimidate you about texture.
Risalamande is one of these foods that you can never describe until you have tried it. It is not dramatic and noisy, it is silent comfort. It is a dessert that sits well at the end of a meal waiting to bring a smile on to every spoonful.
More About Risalamande
And that it is simple is also its charm creamy rice with light whipped cream the crunch of almond, and that sweet-sour JavaScript cute of cherry sauce. It is the recipe that has been transferred between the generations and it is the recipe made with love and served with happiness
Make a bowl even though it is not Christmas. Conceal that almond. Post the tale. and let a serve of Danish cosy-ness into thy home.
