Rice Cream

     We both have a Scandinavian heritage, Norwegian to be precise.  Byron's mother descended from the royal baker for the king of Norway and Gail is pure Norwegian.  Every Christmas we get together with Scandinavian friends for a special dinner with all of our favorite Scandinavian foods.  After the dessert of Rice Cream and cookies, we finish the evening by singing Christmas carols in Swedish.   How do we sound?  Well, let's just put it this way:  you would not want to be there. 
     Rice Cream is a delicious dessert with the universal Scandinavian ingredient:  fat, here in the form of cream.  We got our particular recipe from a friend, Ann Wollman, who, yes, was born and raised in the Scandinavian nation of Minneapolis-St. Paul.  She brings the Rice Cream to the dinner. 
     In accord with sacred Swedish tradition going back to the Middle Ages, an almond is hidden in it; whoever gets it in their portion of rice cream has God's special blessing for the coming year.  Ann dishes up the Rice Cream and manages to get it in her portion almost every year.  That's a Swede for you.  She thinks we Norwegians are dumb.  However, after Ann got the almond for 12 years running, we figured out she was cheating and complained.  That shows we're not slow; we're just very deliberate.  If a Norwegian dished up the Rice Cream, it would be done in a fair manner.
     This year our dinner is on December 19th.  If Ann Wollman gets the almond, then in protest, we will remove this recipe from our web site December 20th.
     Regardless of how that comes out, our prayer is that you experience God's special blessing this Christmas season and in the coming New Year!
   
Ingredients for Ann Wollman's Rice Cream:

6 cups of milk
1 cup of long-grain rice
1 cup of whipping cream
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vanilla

    Early in the day or the day before, mix the milk, rice, sugar, salt, and vanilla over simmering water in a double boiler.  Keep the heat low and cook for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the rice is done.
    Once cooked, refrigerate until serving time.  Serve cold or reheat slightly. If you reheat it, you will need to add more milk. 
    Whip the cream before serving and fold it into the rice.
    Top with lingonberries, or cinnamon and nutmeg. 
   
    We like it with lingonberries.  That's why we carry lingonberries at A Cook's Wares.  While Ann Wollman brings the Rice Cream to our Christmas Scandinavian dinner, we bring the lingonberries.  Since we contribute to the dessert, you would think we would get the almond every now and then.  But we never do.