Rice Pudding Tartlets Recipes

BUDINI DI RISO (FLORENTINE RICE PUDDING TARTS) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a food processor (if you don't have one, you can instead mix the dough in a large mixing bowl using a pastry cutter or your fingers), work the butter into the flour, together with the pinch of salt, until it resembles a coarse, sandy yellow cornmeal.
• Mix in the powdered sugar and transfer the mixture to a work surface.
• Form the mixture into a volcano shape (with a crater in the middle) and place the egg yolks and zest in the crater.
• Use a fork to beat the yolks and mix them into the flour, then use your hands to work the liquid and dry parts together just to form a dough. Be careful not to overwork it -- you just want it to stay together, otherwise, your crusts will be tough and hard, rather than crumbly and tender.
• Form the dough into a round, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
• Once the 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
• Remove the dough to a floured work surface and roll it out very thin (about 1/8" or 3 mm thick).
• Cut it into rounds slightly larger than your tart tins or muffin cups, using either a sharp paring knife or a round cutter shape.
• Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of the molds with your fingers, then pierce the bottom a sides of each a few times with the tines of a fork. (In Florence, the crust is often shaped so that it has a little "lip" around the edge, but that's optional.)
• Fill each tin with dried beans (to keep the dough from puffing up while baking) and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Remove and set aside to cool, then remove and discard the beans when cooled.
• While the dough chills, make the rice pudding and preheat the oven to 392 F (200 C).
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over low heat, melt the butter.
• Add the rice and shot of Vin Santo (or other alcohol, if using), and stir with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute.
• Add the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds, and vanilla paste or extract and simmer gently, uncovered, over low heat until the rice is tender (but not completely mushy) and most (but not quite all) of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let the pudding get too dry, as it will dry out further in the oven and your tarts will be dry and tough, rather than moist and creamy.
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Stir in the beaten eggs and orange and lemon zest. To Make the Tarts
• Spoon the rice pudding into each pre-baked crust up to the edge and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are firm and golden brown.
• Set the tartlet pans or muffin tin on a wire rack to cool, then remove the mini tarts to another wire rack to cool completely.
• Lightly dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

RICE PUDDING TARTS WITH BLOOD ORANGES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place six 4-inch tart rings on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate sucree to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out six 6-inch circles of dough with a sharp paring knife, using an overturned 6-inch bowl as a guide if necessary. Press dough into tart rings; trim excess with a sharp knife. Dock tart shells by piercing the bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Cut out six 6-inch parchment paper circles, and line rings; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully remove parchment and beans. Return to oven, and continue baking until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove tart shells from tart rings, and set aside.
• Grate the zest of 1 orange, and set aside. Cut the ends off all 4 oranges, and remove the peel and pith with a paring knife, following the curve of the fruit. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, slice between the membranes to remove segments, being careful to leave them whole. Transfer to a separate bowl, and set aside. Squeeze the membranes to extract as much juice as possible; reserve 1/4 cup juice.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice, and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain well, and return to saucepan. Add milk, zest, vanilla bean and scrapings, salt, and sugar; cook at a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat, and discard vanilla bean.
• In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, yolks, and reserved 1/4 cup orange juice. Gradually whisk in rice mixture, and return to saucepan. Place pan over medium-low heat; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes (keep in mind that rice pudding will continue to thicken even after cooking). Pour filling into baked tart shells. Arrange orange segments in a floral pattern over rice pudding, and serve.

BELGIAN RICE TART (TARTE AU RIZ)

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups milk, rice and 3 1/2 ounces sugar to a soft boil, cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
• Mix yeast with 1 tablespoon of the 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon sugar until smooth.
• Sift flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the middle.
• Mix rest of the 1/4 cup milk with oil and egg.
• Pour yeast mixture into the well and cut butter into the flour.
• Add milk-oil-egg mixture and knead so you get a soft dough.
• Let rest 30 minutes.
• Remove cooked rice pudding from heat.
• Divide egg, beat white until soft peaks form.
• In a bain-marie, stir rice pudding until slightly cooled, stir in vanilla, then fold in the stiff egg white, incorporate it and then fold in half of the egg yolk. The other half of it will be necessary to baste the rim of the tarte.
• Preheat oven to 480 degrees (430 when fan assisted) and grease a 8-9 inch tart or spring form.
• Knead dough, then spread into tart or spring form.
• Pour rice pudding onto dough, baste rim with remaining egg yolk.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If tart starts to get dark too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Serve plain, with hot cherries or cherry pie filling or whatever topping you like.