The Rice Pudding Issue
Matcha malted banana rice pudding, almond riz au lait with salted caramel white chocolate ganache, blueberry compote & croissant brittle + brûléed gianduja rice pudding with passion fruit curd
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I’m particularly excited about today’s bumper edition, which celebrates rice pudding - a dessert so universally cherished that nearly every culture has embraced its own version. At its core, it’s nothing more than milk, rice, and sugar, but from these humble beginnings, possibilities multiply.
Today we start with a classic stovetop base, equally good spooned straight from the pot or chilled until thick and creamy. Then, three variations: malted matcha banana rice pudding, a playful nod to the viral matcha banana pudding (think Magnolia Bakery meets a matcha latte); almond riz au lait layered with blueberry compote, salted caramel white chocolate ganache, and croissant brittle (think a deconstructed almond croissant), and finally, caramelized brûléed gianduja rice pudding with passion fruit curd, its torched top cracking like a perfect crème brûlée.
The beauty of these recipes lies in their adaptability. Each rice pudding is perfectly satisfying on its own, but introduce the accompaniments - matcha spread (outrageously good on toast), passion fruit curd (a dream swirled into yogurt), croissant brittle (pure insanity), and suddenly, you have the makings of something far greater. Whether you commit to the full repertoire or simply borrow an element here and there, today’s issue offers plenty of inspiration for this week’s culinary projects.
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I have a restless palate and an insatiable curiosity. For a dish to truly satisfy, it must hold my attention. As a cook, for me, there has to be space to improvise, reimagine and even then, to pivot at the last moment. In the kitchen, I never feel that my work is done. There’s always room for experimentation, for finishing touches that shift the focus of a dish entirely. I prefer dishes that invite play - ones that make me ask, what if I added…? Rice pudding is made for such tinkering. At its core, it is rice, milk, and sugar - a blank canvas, yes, but not a rigid one. For me, the perfect dessert is a recipe that unfurls in time, remaining open to transformation until the very end, and this is what makes rice pudding irresistible.
Readers will know how much I love baking, but a lemon sponge, once mixed and poured, is, in itself, fait accompli. Rice pudding? It waits for instruction. A last-minute trickle of cream to slacken its texture, a spoonful of malted milk powder for depth, a handful of toasted almonds for crunch, a generous glug of vanilla paste to round it all out - each addition alters its character completely.
For me, the perfect recipe must meet three quiet but essential demands: it must result in a dessert delicious beyond question, showcase an ingredient I’m drawn to or that is in season, and it must be beautiful. Rice pudding, porridge, risotto - soft, pale, yielding - aren't foods that preen. In other words, it is difficult to make slop appear beautiful. And yet, therein lies the challenge: to make something so loose and slumped appear as pleasing as it tastes. What, after all, is the difference between dressing a bowl and painting a canvas? To me, plating is just another way to engage with texture and contrast, with light and shade. Cooking, like painting, rewards those willing to play, so today, let’s do just that.
In my family, rice pudding is a generational obsession. My dad loves it, my grandmother dreams of it, and no doubt I have great-aunts and distant cousins who share the same affinity for this sweet treat. Perhaps it’s because rice pudding offers comfort at any hour: breakfast, tea time, or best of all, that midnight spoonful straight from the fridge, when the cold, creamy grains somehow taste even better than they did when warm.
English rice pudding - a nursery staple, a school dinner relic, a dessert that appears, golden-skinned and fragrant, fresh from the oven at the end of a Sunday lunch. This classic slow-baked favorite with its thick, spoonable consistency makes for slow enjoyment.
But tradition is a foundation, not a constraint, and I see no reason to follow it blindly. Today’s interpretations are a far cry from the traditional version I enjoyed when growing up. These creations are full of playfulness and invention - the type of recipes that welcome spontaneity. My ancestors, I’m sure, never encountered rice puddings like these. Alongside rice pudding recipes, I share curds, ganaches, and spreads, from homemade gianduja, deep with chocolate and hazelnuts, to matcha spread and a salted vanilla caramel white chocolate ganache. Keep reading!
Matcha malted banana rice pudding
A banana pudding, deconstructed and entirely delicious. This is the grown-up version, laced with matcha and malted milk powder together with the childhood comfort of Nilla wafers reimagined as lemon zest brown butter shortbread.
The matcha arrives cloaked in white chocolate swirled into a vanilla-salted ganache. Then there is a cloud of vanilla Chantilly cream, together with bananas, bronzed in butter and brown sugar that teeter on the edge of caramel. The whole thing should be illegal. If you commit to the full, glorious monstrosity, you’ll understand why. But if it’s just the rice pudding you’re after, be generous with the salt and vanilla. It’s heavenly.
Almond riz au lait with salted caramel white chocolate ganache, blueberry compote & croissant brittle
To summarize, this rice pudding tastes rather like an almond croissant, another deconstructed creation inspired by a visit to Fortitude Bakehouse. It was at this bakery that I ordered the most heavenly pastry, a kouign-amann, with a center of blueberry compote and a dulcey chocolate caramel ganache topping.
Inspired, I wanted to translate that mouthful into rice pudding - and it worked. To echo the pastry, I made croissant brittle, a clever trick bakers use to rescue day-old croissants. If you don’t have any stale croissants, simply buy fresh. The croissant brittle is gorgeous and stupidly moreish. Blueberries are, of course, not in season yet, so for the compote, buy frozen.
Caramelized gianduja riz au lait with passion fruit curd
Homemade gianduja, essentially a more refined Nutella, transforms this dish. The passion fruit curd, sharp and buttery, cuts through the richness while the torched sugar topping introduces a hint of bitterness, like the edges of a well-toasted marshmallow. I have always thought passion fruit and dark chocolate were meant for each other.
Rice pudding basics
Although we are going to focus on the stovetop method there are multiple ways that you can prepare rice pudding. Do you have a version of rice pudding you make at home? Don’t hesitate to comment below and let’s discuss.
Stovetop rice pudding (my fav)– Creamy and rich, made by adding rice, milk, cream and sugar to a pan and gently simmering on the stove until thickened. Quicker than baking and endlessly adaptable.
Baked rice pudding – Slow-cooked in the oven, forming a golden, caramelized skin on top while the rice softens in the sweetened milk beneath.
Leftover rice pudding – A practical and low-effort approach, using already-cooked rice. Quick to throw together and perfect for reviving yesterday’s rice into something entirely new.
Although these accompaniments were created with rice pudding in mind, their versatility designed to swirl, melt, and crackle against its creamy backdrop, their appeal extends well beyond the bowl. Spread, spooned or scattered over anything in need of a little extra richness, crunch, or tang, you will not regret having these additions in your fridge/pantry.
Matcha spread – make this now! Matcha, white chocolate, vanilla, and salt combine for a smooth, balanced spread that works on everything - even stirred into warm milk for a lovely breakfast beverage.
Salted caramel white chocolate ganache – rich, buttery, and perfectly salted, this ganache is as good drizzled over desserts as it is eaten straight from the spoon.
Gianduja spread – grown-up Nutella. A blend of roasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate, silky yet deeply nutty, perfect for spreading, baking, or just dipping into.
Passion fruit curd – bright, tangy, and velvety, this curd brings a sharp fruitiness to toast, tarts, and yogurt. I enjoyed it with chia yoghurt for breakfast this morning!
Blueberry compote – juicy, slow-cooked frozen blueberries (we have to wait a little longer for them to be in season) with just the right amount of sweetness and acidity to cut through rich dishes.
Croissant brittle – a clever way to revive day-old croissants, baked into thin, crisp shards of caramelized pastry. Adds a much-needed crunch to rice pudding but equally as satisfying eaten on its own.
Brown butter lemon shortbread – crumbly and aromatic, with a deep nuttiness from browned butter and a fresh citrus lift from the lemon zest.
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