Christmas Eve Dessert
When Christmas Eve in our house finally arrives, we are so excited to eat our favorite dinner of the year. It doesn’t get better than flæskesteg, andesteg, brunede kartofler, rødkål, and boiled potatoes, all topped with an amazing gravy! But a celebratory meal is not complete without dessert. And every year, we look forward to the traditional Danish creamy rice pudding topped with cherry sauce! The name for this dessert actually comes from the French words for “rice with almonds:” ris à l’amande. As Danes tend to do, the separate words got combined into one word and now is known as risalamande.
Mandelgave or “Almond Present”
As just a dessert, this rich rice pudding is amazing – packed with almonds and vanilla! However, it’s not just a dessert – it’s also a fun little competition! In Denmark, one whole almond is added to the whole batch of pudding. The pudding then gets served and whoever gets the whole almond in their bowl gets the mandelgave, or “almond present,” which is usually a small gift that anyone would enjoy, such as a board game or movie. In our family at least, the goal is to conceal the discovery of the almond as long as possible, so that the game continues and everyone has to continue eating. Some methods of concealment include hiding it in your cheek, under your tongue, spitting it into a napkin (a bit difficult without anyone noticing), or hiding it in your drink – we could probably continue the list, but you get the idea! Make sure to look around at everyone and occasionally accuse someone of hiding it in their mouth; it makes for great entertainment!
Making Risalamande
Making this dessert is quite simple, but it does require having leftover risengrød or rice porridge. You can check out our recipe here! Then you add almonds to the rice porridge and mix well. Next, you whip up heavy cream until it reaches stiff peaks, adding vanilla bean paste or vaniljesukker if you have it, or vanilla extract! Fold the porridge together with the whipped cream, making sure not to overmix as the pudding could becomes watery. What you are left with is a delicious, creamy, rich yet fluffy pudding! You may notice we don’t add any additional sugar – that’s how our family likes it, but if you want it sweeter, feel free to whip the cream with some powdered sugar. We always top ours with cherry sauce (we usually buy one imported from Denmark, but you can look for cherry sauce in grocery stores or make a homemade version!) We hope you try out our recipe, and be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
Watch Our Video
Risalamande (Rice Pudding with Almonds)
Ingredients
- 1250 grams risengrød (rice porridge) leftovers (you can also make a portion just for this recipe, just make sure it is fully chilled before adding the whipped cream!)
- 175 grams slivered almonds (preferably untoasted, but if it's all you can find, it will work!)
- 473 ml heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (if you can't find vanilla bean paste, add 1-1.5 tsp of vanilla extract and taste if it needs extra!)
- 1 whole blanched almond
Instructions
- Mix together your leftover rice porridge and slivered almonds in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream (yes, we use 2 whole cups – it may seem like a lot, but it gives the pudding that airy texture! if you want to leave some out, you can feel free to do so).
- Whip to stiff peaks and add vanilla paste towards the end. You may notice that we do not add sugar to this; this is how our family eats it, without added sweeteners. If you prefer a sweeter pudding, feel free to add powdered sugar to the whipped cream to your taste!
- Begin folding in whipped cream (start with half) to the rice porridge mixture. Try not to overmix, as that could turn it watery.
- Add the remaining half of the whipped cream and continue folding until incorporated.
- Place one whole blanched almond into the pudding. Be sure to mix it in!
- Serve with cherry sauce (it's delicious warmed up a little bit!). Whoever gets the whole almond get a present!
