Finnish Fruit Soup & Rice Pudding {Riisipuuro}
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes (concurrently)
- 3 cups mixed dried fruit (I used prunes, figs, apricots and currants)
- 1 litre water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cardamom pods
- 3 pieces orange zest
- 1 vanilla bean, split down the centre
- 1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons potato starch mixed with 4 tablespoons of water (enough to make a slurry)
Rice Pudding or Riisipuuro
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- 3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
- 1 whole almond (optional)
Buyer's tip: you can buy potato starch at Asian grocery stores
Step 1 - Place the fruit, water, cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest and vanilla bean in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the sugar and sweeten to taste. Remove from heat and add the potato starch and thicken.
Step 2 - While it is cooking make the rice pudding. Add the rice (do not rinse), milk, cream, vanilla and cardamom to a saucepan and bring to a boil and simmer gently until the rice is cooked. Add in the sugar to taste and the almond if using.