The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.
In January I made an amazingly delicious Sweet Potato Risotto From Real Simple that I had seen posted on several blogs. I added some diced grilled chicken and it was a fabulous one pot meal that I never got around to posting and really should make again.
Since I’d recently made a savory risotto and have made homemade stock many times, I decided it would be fun to make a sweet risotto. I found many delicious sweet risotto recipes on line, but I knew my family would love the Cherry Risotto posted on Cooks Almost Anything.
My adapted recipe is posted below. I didn’t add the cherry juice to the risotto as it was cooking, so that it would highlight the vanilla bean seeds and the contrasting white and red colors. I also incorporated tips and instructions from GoLo Kitchen’s Rice Pudding–Risotto Style.
This was a scrumptious rice pudding. I’d never had rice pudding with any fruit other than raisins and it added a whole new dimension to the dessert. I would like to try using the arborio rice in our family favorite rice pudding recipe, Lamb’s Famous Rice Pudding, to see if it would increase the creaminess without all the stirring. But if you love cherries, definitely give this one a try!
Ingredients
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 cups milk add more or less as needed
- 1 cup cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
To make poached cherries
- 12 oz. bag frozen cherries pitted
- ¼ cup caster sugar
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Place the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla bean paste into a saucepan and bring gently to boiling point.
- In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Pour in rice and stir until all grains have been coated with butter. Cook rice for a few minutes until the rice is glossy and a bit translucent.
- Add a half cup of the hot milk mixture. This should absorb fairly quickly and as soon as the majority of the milk has been absorbed, add another half cup. Keep stirring and when this has absorbed, add another half cup. Continue this process of adding milk and stirring until rice is tender.
- (You want your risotto to be smooth and creamy. The rice will absorb more liquid as it cools, so continue to add milk until the rice is tender but all the milk is not absorbed.)
- Serve hot with a spoonful of poached cherry juice and poached cherries on top.
For the poached cherries
- In a saucepan add the caster sugar and water and over a gentle heat stir until the sugar has just melted. Add the cherries, stir to coat and let this simmer until the cherries have coloured the syrup. Cool before using.
Jamie
Barbara – you read my mind! I have been craving rice pudding with cherry sauce! Ooh I have to try your recipe – it is gorgeous! I love your savory risotto as well. Both are perfect!
Sarah Vino
Oooo I LOVE MAKING RICE PUDDING! The only problem is I eat it too quickly!! Nice blog! I just started one on food and wine and chocolate, http://www.sarahvino.blogspot.com if you're interested. Nice to see this recipe it's delicious! 🙂
tasteofbeirut
Barbara
I first tasted cherries and cream at a Persian friend's and decided at that moment it was the best thing under the sun. I love that rice pudding and in fact I was thinking of doing something very similar a few days ago
Katy ~
That rice pudding looks sooooo good! And I still haven't tried risotto, but boy, do I want some of yours. It looks deeeelish!!
msmeanie
Great idea to make a sweet risotto! I LOVE rice pudding and grew up eating an Indian version (called kheer). The pudding looks amazingly creamy!
Lynda
Both of these look delicious Barbara-although my husband does'nt like cherries, I think other berries would work too. Thanks for the great recipes!
Mamatkamal
I love rice pudding. Great risotto, it looks so creamy and delicious. I posted mine only in the forum and not in my blog, I wasn't 100% satisfied with the result, though it tasted good.
Great job Barbara on this challenge.
Cheers
Barbara
Wonderful, Barbara! I saw the word Daring Cooks and risotto and then saw cherries and wondered if I was on the wrong post!
We love rice pudding in my house and I love the dark cherries on top.