Tuscan rice pudding tartlets
These Italian tartlets contain the British favourite, rice pudding, in a delicate pastry case – they are perfect for a special occasion dessert.
Equipment and preparation: You will need 8 x 10cm/4in tart cases.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 125g/4½oz salted butter
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 250g/9oz ‘00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
For the filling
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 40ml/1½fl oz vin santo dessert wine
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú arborio rice
- 500ml/18fl oz whole milk
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú caster sugar
- few strips orange peel
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- double espresso or vin santo, to serve
Method
To make the pastry, blitz the butter, sugar and egg yolks together in a food processor. Add the flour and bring together into a dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate until cold.
Preheat the oven to 210C/190C (Fan)/Gas 6½.
Roll out the pastry and cut into twelve circle shapes, slightly larger than the tart tins. Place the pastry circles into the tin and prick each with a fork. Line the pastry shells with a scrunched up piece of baking paper and baking beans or rice. Blind bake for 10–15 minutes and set aside to cool slightly before removing the paper and the beans. Leave the oven on.
To make the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan with the vanilla and the vin santo. Stir in the rice, then add in the milk, the sugar and the orange peel. Cook on a low-medium heat until the rice is tender and almost all of the milk has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and carefully take out the vanilla pod and the piece of orange peel. Quickly beat in the egg yolks. Spoon the mixture into the cooked tartlet shells. Bake for 10–15 minutes until the filling is set and coloured. Dust each tartlet with icing sugar and serve with a shot of double espresso or glass of vin santo.
