An article by nordicdiner
Scandinavia's favorite Christmas dessert
Rice pudding, Scandinavia’s favorite Christmas dessert.
Sprinkle stardust on your rice pudding and serve Scandinavia’s favorite Christmas dessert.
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Rice pudding is an old Scandinavian dessert dating back to the latter part of the 19th century in Denmark. Scandinavia has always had a love affair with porridge, so the leap was not very big from porridge to dessert.Rice pudding is made in Norway, Sweden and Denmark for Christmas. The dessert consists of rice porridge mixed with vanilla and whipped cream and served with a red sauce. Adding whipped cream makes the rice pudding very creamy. All three countries put a whole almond in the rice pudding, and the one who finds it receives a gift, often a pig made of marzipan.
When it comes to the sauce, the three Nordic countries choose their separate roads. Norwegians are quite down to earth and serve a red sauce based on berry juice thickened with potato flour. Swedes often serve their pudding with oranges and candied peel. The Danes elevate the dessert to a meal to remember. They embrace a sauce made of cherries called kirsebærsovs.
The easiest way to make the cherry sauce is to use a glass of preserved cherries. I always preserve cherries in the autumn in a flavoured syrup made with cinnamon stick and lemon peel. On Christmas Eve the only thing I have to do is thicken it with maizenna and add lemon juice to balance the sweetness. This way you are making slow fast food that has had several months to develop its wonderful flavour. But if you have no preserved cherries in your pantry, you can always use frozen cherries (as I have done in the recipe below).
Rice pudding is leftover food. At our house we eat rice porridge on the day before Christmas Eve. The next day the porridge is transformed into the most delicious dessert. This desserts gets even better the next day, so go ahead and make porridge the day before.
Rice pudding is called ris a la mande in Denmark, ris a la Malta in Sweden and riskrem in Norway.
Rice pudding (makes 6–7)
1 portion of creamy rice porridge (you find the recipe here)
300 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
1. Make the rice porridge. Place in a bowl. Allow to cool rapidly in cold water.
2. Remove the vanilla pod. Whip the cream with the sugar and add the porridge. Mix well. Place in the refrigerator (for some hours or until the next day).
Red cherry sauce
300 g / 11 oz cherries (frozen is fine)
75 g / 3 oz sugar
250 ml water
1 stick cinnamon
1 star anise
a little squeeze of lemon or orange juice
1–2 tbsp corn starch (maizena)
1. Add cherries, sugar, water and the spices to a pan. Bring to boil for about 30 minutes on low heat. I like to keep the berries whole, hence I pick them out after 15 minutes.
2. Adjust the taste with some lemon- or orange juice. Thicken the sauce with maizena while the sauce is still boiling. Add the maizena (gradually to control the thickness) while you are stirring.
3. Add the cherries to the sauce and allow to cool. The sauce is even better the day after. Remove the star anise before you serve it.
Stardust (almond brittle/croquant)
75 g / 3 oz sugar
125 g / 4 oz chopped almonds
1. Put a piece of parchment paper on a big chopping board. Heat a frying pan on medium heat.
2. Place the sugar in the pan and shake the pan to distribute the sugar evenly. The sugar will after a while start to melt into caramel. Do not stir the sugar. Be patient. Watch out, as the caramel easily burns. You might experience that the sugar melts faster in some areas, if so, shake the pan to move the sugar about.
3. When the sugar has turned into mediumbrown caramel, add the chopped almonds. Remove the pan from the heat and place the brittle on the parchment paper.
4.Finely chop the brittle and keep in a jar.It can be stored for several months.
Serve the rice pudding with almond brittle on top and the cherry sauce on the side.
More dishes for Christmas?
Creamy rice porridge
Heavenly fruit salad with clementines
Nordic cinnamon cookies
Traditional Norwegian Christmas and gingerbread nuts
English fruitcake
FAQs
This traditional Danish rice pudding dessert is served at Christmas dinner and Julefrokost. On Christmas Eve, the cook hides one whole almond among the slivered ones; whoever finds it receives a gift!
What is hidden in rice pudding in Norway and Sweden and whomever finds it is said to have good luck? ›
Many Scandinavian rice porridge recipes call for a single almond to be mixed into the finished pudding, and the person who gets the almond in their bowl is said to have good luck in the coming year.
What is hidden inside the rice pudding eaten in Sweden and Norway at New Year what will happen to the person who finds it? ›
In Sweden and Norway, meanwhile, rice pudding with an almond hidden inside is served on New Year's Eve; it is said that whoever finds the nut can expect 12 months of good fortune.
Why do the people of Norway leave a bowl of rice pudding out for the barn elf? ›
It's a Norwegian tradition to bring a bowl of Nissegrøt, rice porridge, out to the barn for Fjøsnissen on Christmas Eve. Once fed, he will gladly take care of the farm and the livestock in return. If not – he'll be very offended, and may get up to mischief! Such as leaving the barn door wide open.
Why do Norwegians put an almond in rice pudding? ›
It is traditional for families to place a single, blanched almond inside the rice porridge or pudding. Whoever finds the almond will have good luck, and often gets a prize (usually a small marzipan pig or chocolate), and the distinction of getting to open their presents first!
What is the purpose of hiding an almond in rice pudding? ›
In Sweden, Finland, and Norway
Typically it is made of chilled leftover rice pudding, whipped cream, sugar and vanilla, with or without almonds. By tradition, the person finding a hidden almond in the dessert is expected to get married before the next Christmas.
What is the significance of rice pudding? ›
But it holds specifical significance during the New Year in symbolizing hope for a year filled with positivity, prosperity and peace. Rice pudding is a humble and common dish, shared all over the world. It's usually made with just rice, milk and sugar, but the sum is equal to more than its parts.
What do Scandinavians often eat for lunch? ›
Smorgasbords (bread and butter buffet tables) are popular at lunch in Scandinavia. In Denmark, open-faced sandwiches are made from the buffet table and eaten with a knife and fork. Buttered bread is topped with items such as sausage, herring, smoked salmon, boiled potatoes, cheese, and tomatoes.
Which country eats rice pudding on Christmas? ›
Rice pudding is made in Norway, Sweden and Denmark for Christmas. The dessert consists of rice porridge mixed with vanilla and whipped cream and served with a red sauce. Adding whipped cream makes the rice pudding very creamy.
What is the unofficial national dish of Norway? ›
Perfect food for sharing
Mutton and cabbage stew, or “fårikål” in Norwegian, has repeatedly been named Norway's national dish.
Norwegians have their own version of Santa Claus, called Julenisse. In Scandinavian folklore, a nisse is a short, mythological gnome-like creature with a long white beard and a red cap.
How often do Norwegians eat out? ›
Meals & Dining Customs
Most working Norwegians seldom go out to lunch; instead they grab a quick open-face sandwich, or smørbrød, at their offices. But in major towns and cities, lunch is generally served from 1 to 3pm. The middag, the main meal of the day, is generally eaten between 4:30 and 6pm.
What is a Danish almond present? ›
An almond present (Danish: mandelgave, Bokmål: mandelgave, Nynorsk: mandelgåve, Icelandic: möndlugjöf, Swedish: mandelgåva) is a small present traditionally given in some Nordic countries to the person who gets the whole almond put in the rice pudding served for Christmas.
What is risalamande made of? ›
Making this dessert is really simple. You cook some basic rice pudding, stir in some almonds and whipped cream then top it with cherry sauce. The one extra special thing about Risalamande are the almonds. And not just the almonds, but the one, single whole almond that gets added to it.
What is black pudding in Danish? ›
Blodp The Danish take on blood pudding, Blodp is a mixture of blood, milk, sugar, raisins and cinnamon. Eaten as a dessert, the sweet sausage is served with apples, butter cinnamon and syrup. …
What was in the original Christmas pudding? ›
The pudding we know today began life as a pottage. This was a kind of broth, including raisins and other dried fruit, spices and wine. It was thickened with breadcrumbs or ground almonds. Not dissimilar to the mince pies of yesteryear, it often included meat or at least meat stock.
