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You are here: Home / Dessert / Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce

Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce

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A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish. Pinterest image.
Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in glass serving dishes. Pinterest image.on a traditional Danish table cloth.

Traditional Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce is a creamy and delicious rice pudding laced with sherry and almonds, served with a sweet, warm cherry sauce.

The History of Risalamande

Risalamande finds it origins in the French Ris à l’amande and  has been served on Christmas Eve in Denmark since around 1900.

A Personal History of Risalamande

As I am half Danish I remember always feeling quite lucky as a child to have two Christmas celebrations! The first was on Christmas Eve where we had a traditional Danish meal usually with goose or duck and Risalamand. This was followed by singing Danish songs (mum playing piano) and dancing around the Christmas tree which was lit with traditional white candles (never a problem)!

Then we’d open our presents and often go off to the midnight service (when I got a bit older). The next day we’d go to my English grandparents and have a traditional English Christmas meal (always turkey and my gran’s homemade Christmas Pudding) and more presents.

A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish.

As a child I didn’t like any rice or semolina based desserts but the thing that got me eating Risalamande was the hidden almond because if you found that you won a prize! I remember one particular Christmas eve at one of my aunt’s houses in Denmark one of the prizes was a  gorgeous marzipan pig! 

Being the worlds No 1 marzipan fan I’d have done anything to win it. I must have eaten 3 bowls of Risalamande but to no avail, sadly my morfar (granddad) was the lucky winner. I seem to remember he didn’t even choose the pig as his prize but a box of cigars!

Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in glass serving dishes. on a traditional Danish table cloth.

Anyway as I grew older I learned to appreciate Danish rice dessert with cream and almonds and have usually left it to my mum to make. This year I decided to make my own interpretation of my mother’s recipe which was a few scribbled notes I’d make many years ago.

My observations on making Danish Rice Pudding with Cherry Sauce

After a couple of trials I am happy with this version as my hubby was a great critic telling me that my first attempt wasn’t like my mother’s version!

A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish.

It also didn’t help that the frozen cherries I bought for my first attempt were sour (which I didn’t notice until after I’d cooked them). So check the packaging when purchasing, you need sweet cherries!

Every Dane has their version of Risalamande and the two stipulations that my mother has are that there aren’t too many chopped almonds in the rice pudding (otherwise too bitty) and also that it isn’t too sweet as the cherry sauce provides the sweet contrast to the creamy rice pudding.

For more sweet Christmas recipe inspiration check out:

  • Danish Vanilla Wreaths (Vanille Kranse)
  • Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread)
  • Hallon Cookies 
  • Bestmore’s Kransakake
  • Cape Brandy Pudding 

Pin for later!

Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in glass serving dishes. Pinterest image.on a traditional Danish table cloth.

 

It just remains for me to wish you all a very Happy Christmas or Glædelig Jul! 

xx

NB: Previously published Dec 2014.

A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish.
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Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce

Traditional Risalamande (Dansih Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce is a creamy and delicious rice pudding laced with sherry and almonds served with a contrasting sweet cherry sauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Danish
Keyword Christmas, pudding, traditional
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6
Author Camilla Hawkins

Ingredients

  • For the Risalamand:
  • 1 ltr Full fat milk
  • 100 g Pudding rice
  • 2 tbsp Caster sugar I keep a vanilla pod in mine
  • 2 tbsp Sherry
  • 15 g Flaked almonds chopped
  • 1 whole almond
  • 250 mls Whipping cream
  • Flaked almonds to decorate optional
  • For the Cherry Sauce:
  • 350 g Frozen cherries
  • 400 mls Water
  • 80 g Caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp High juice blackcurrant squash or cordial
  • 1 ½ tbsp Potato flour or cornflour
  • 1 ½ tbsp Ice cold water

Instructions

  • For Risalamande:
  • Put milk into a non-stick pan and bring to almost simmering point – add the rice.
  • Keeping the heat low (probably lowest setting) cook the rice for 30 minutes with the lid on stirring at regular intervals. (Very important not to burn).
  • Then remove lid and cook for further 15 - 20 minutes simmering and stirring until rice is cooked and porridge like.
  • Once cooked stir in the caster sugar, sherry and chopped almonds into the rice porridge.
  • Put in a bowl to cool and then refrigerate until chilled. (Overnight is fine).
  • Whip the cream into soft peaks
  • Fold a little cream into the rice porridge to loosen it and then carefully fold the rest of the cream in, then add the whole almond.
  • Place in a glass serving dish and decorate with a few flaked almonds if wished and put back in fridge to thoroughly chll..
  • For Cherry Sauce:
  • Put the cherries, water, sugar and blackcurrant squash in a pan, bring to the boil then turn down heat to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  • Mix the potato flour and 2 tbsp ice cold water together to form a paste and lowering the heat stir into the cherries cooking for another minute to thicken.
  • Take off the heat, put in a bowl and serve with the Risalamande warm or cold (any leftover sauce can be re-heated)..
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janice Pattie

    22/12/2019 at 2:26 pm

    What a lovely tradition to share with your family. It looks so delicious Merry Christmas.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2019 at 4:32 pm

      Thank you Janice, have a very Merry Christmas too! xx

      Reply
  2. Amy Fidler

    21/06/2017 at 7:29 am

    Bet this is delicious x

    Reply
    • Camilla

      21/06/2017 at 9:39 am

      Thanks Amy, it really is:-)

      Reply
  3. Josefine

    14/12/2016 at 9:44 pm

    Oh yay I love Risalamande 😀 and I loved reading about your Danish traditions and your childhood memories. In our family we also play the almond game in our family! I used to love it when I got it and my sisters where green with envy! Hehe #beinspired

    Reply
    • Camilla

      14/12/2016 at 11:11 pm

      Aaw, just me who never won the almond then LOL:-) Do love Risalamande and usually rely on my mum to make it:-)

      Reply
  4. Martina Evans

    26/10/2015 at 11:15 am

    Brilliant! I would love to make this for Christmas. My family and I love rice pudding and cherries so this should go down a treat 🙂

    Reply
    • Camilla

      26/10/2015 at 10:20 pm

      Thanks:-) I’ve never liked rice pudding and didn’t like this either as a child but I love it now:-)

      Reply
  5. Ursula Hunt

    04/07/2015 at 12:23 pm

    This has become a favourite dessert in our house

    Reply
    • Camilla

      04/07/2015 at 2:04 pm

      Fabulous Ursula, so glad to hear that:-)

      Reply
  6. Paul Wilson

    25/06/2015 at 12:14 am

    Looks great for a summer’s eve.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      25/06/2015 at 3:59 pm

      Well it’s traditionally a Christmas dish but if you’d like it in summer then who am I to argue:-)

      Reply
  7. tiggerific1973

    13/05/2015 at 2:56 pm

    I love the sauce idea!

    Reply
  8. Kirsty Fox

    17/04/2015 at 9:36 pm

    That cherry sauce looks absolutely delicious and a gorgeous colour

    Reply
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