Budino di riso -

Rice pudding reminds me of winter. Mums version is topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg, wobbly custard top, dense eggy rice bottom. Not gourmet in the least, but reminiscent of a big warm hug. Maurizio Terzini’s Budino di riso, from his book Something Italian, is a like a hug from someone more refined.

And a big warm hug is necessary, in winter. I know, I can’t complain about Sydney winters, where it barely gets cold enough to really be cold, but we have no heating infrastructure. By we, I mean Australians in general, but more specifically our household. The cold here is counteracted by doonas, hugs, extra layers, and when it is really frosty, a hot water bottle. And of course, rich hearty stews, spicy curries and rice pudding like a warm hug. That is really what gets me through the winter (that and the essential thermal underwear).

I made this dish on a whim, and highly recommend it. Easy, if you ignore the pedantry of the original recipe, as I did. Gentle, sweet, nutty and filling, just as a winter dessert should be. And because i don’t know how to leave well enough alone, I tweaked a few things and straightened some others out.

Budino di riso (individual chocolate rice puddings)
Makes 4
adapted from Maurizio Terzini’s Something Italian

3/4 cup arborio rice
700mL full cream milk
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup caster sugar
200g dark cooking chocolate
80g unsalted butter
2T caster sugar, extra
4T finely chopped dried figs

Preheat oven to 200C.

Cook rice for 10 mins in boiling lightly salted water. Drain, return rice to pan with milk and cook over low heat, stirring continuously until most of the milk is absorbed.

Meanwhile, beat yolks and sugar until fluffy. Separately, beat the whites with extra sugar until stiff. Melt chocolate and butter together.

In a large bowl, combine rice, yolks, chocolate and whites, folding together gently. Pour mixture into moulds.
Bake puddings for 1 hour in a bain marie in preheated oven.

Cool and serve with cream. (Also good cold, thankfully, as i now have a fridge full of chocolate rice puddings).