the best way of describing this italian dessert, is that it’s somewhat like a rice pudding but in a more solid form, and there are no raisins in it. (i profoundly dislike mushy raisins often found in desserts). it is extremely tasty, not too sweet, and very lovely as a snack with a nice cup of java!
i first discovered this amazing dessert at la pâtisserie belge in montreal (sadly it closed in 2013), because a friend of mine said i should -- or rather i must try it (if you read this, jean-marc, thank you). every single time i returned home thereafter, i made a point of going to the pâtisserie to get one of those amazing pies. in fact, they were so deliciously popular that they always sold out within 48 hours: the pies were made on thursday and by friday or saturday they were all gone. by-the-way, i have never seen this dessert anywhere else on this continent as of yet.
now as luck will have it, i did find some base recipes, and with much experimentation trying to replicate the texture and taste of the one from la pâtisserie belge, i finally created a successful one. and based on many stellar reviews, i think i did a pretty darn good job!
ingredients
1 cup -short grain white rice -or pearl rice (i use italian arborio rice)
1 litre -whole milk -3.5%
3/4 cup -butter -salted okay
1 cup -white sugar
6 -egg yolks
6 -egg whites
2 tsp -vanilla extract
ingredients for the base
1.5 cup -graham crumbs -you can mix half & half with ground almonds
1/4 cup -melted butter
1/4 cup -brown sugar
about the base: here you can make a pie shell if you so wish, but as i hate rolling dough i make a base from a cheesecake recipe. this one is quite abundant so feel free to make a half-recipe. all you need to do is mix the three ingredients and spread the mixture at the bottom of your baking pan, pressing it tightly with a fork. note: some recipes do not make a base at all.
• preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
• butter and flour a 10-inch baking dish — or ideally a cheesecake pan if you have one (commonly known as springform pan). you can also use two 7-inch pans for two smaller cakes. (skip this step if you are using a non-stick baking dish)
• rinse the rice under cold water (optional), then cook it with the milk and the vanilla extract in a fairly large pot. first bring it to the boiling point, then reduce to low heat and let it cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. this takes about 30 minutes. when it is done, remove from heat and set aside. note: be careful as milk spills very easily and it does so extremely quickly! so keep a close eye on it when bringing to a boil.
• in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. when in a rush, i just put those directly into the cooked rice
• in a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks on high speed until they are pale yellow and doubled in volume, then add them to the butter-sugar mixture. blend well, then add it to the cooked rice.
• continue mixing the rice with your hand mixer to break the grains a little. the idea is that it might help “stick” together a little better. note: with many years of experience making this dessert, i can say as long as you are using the correct rice, this step is not necessary.
• in a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they make a stiff peak.
• gently fold the whites into the rice mixture. this is the trickiest part. if you don’t know the folding technique, you can learn by watching a short video here. it is a very good demonstration!
• poor the whole mixture onto the prepared base. (or pie crust if you were brave)
• bake at 350º for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and puffed up — if you split the batter into two smaller 7-inch cakes (which i often do), baking 40 minutes is sufficient.
• cool before serving. although it is recommended to serve cold, i love it at every temperature!
enjoy my yummylicious italian delight!
more info in italian on torta di riso
please let me know if you enjoy this italian delight by leaving me a comment ~ thanks!
