Recipe - Almond And Rice Dessert

ALMOND MILK
1/3 cup Blanched Almonds
2/3 cup Boiling Water

DESSERT
5 tablespoon Rice Flour
1 1/3 cup Milk
2 cup Light Cream
10 tablespoon Sugar
2 teaspoon Rose Water
1 tablespoon Pistachio Nuts; Chopped
2 tablespoon Almonds; Chopped
8 Ripe Strawberries

1. Make almond milk: Place blanched almonds in a small bowl, and pour the
boiling water over them. Cover, and soak for at least 15 minutes. Put the
almonds with their soaking water in the container of an electric blender,
and finely puree. Strain the almond milk through a double layer of
cheesecloth into a small bowl, squeezing the cloth to extract as much
almond milk as possible. This will yield 2/3 cup.

3. Combine the milk, light cream, and sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan,
and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As the milk comes to a boil,
reduce the heat. Give the rice and almond milk comes to a boil, reduce the
heat. Give the rice and almond mixture a stir, because rice flour has a
tendency to separate from the liquid and settle at the bottom. Add it to
the milk and cream in the saucepan in a steady, slow stream, stirring
rapidly with a wire whisk to prevent lumping. Cook over low heat until the
mixture thickens and a thin custard is formed on the spoon. Continue
cooking the custard, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes. The custard
should be quite thin. As it chills, it will thicken considerably. (If the
custard should accidentally stick and burn, turn off the heat, and
immediately pour it into another saucepan. DO NOT SCRAPE OUT THE BURNT
RESIDUE; it will release the burntcustard smell and texture into the
pudding.

4. Cool the custard thoroughly. Check to make sure there are no lumps. If
there are, pass the custard through a fine sieve. (Do not blend it in the
electric blender or food processor, or it will become runny.) Stir in the
rose water, cover, and refrigerate to chill thoroughly. A skin will form on
the custard. No need for alarm. Simply stir it in with a wire whisk. To
serve, pour into individual dessert dishes, sprinkle with chopped almonds
and pistachios, and place a teaspoon of pomegranate or a strawberry in the
center.

Note: This dessert can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 4 days. It
does not freeze well at all.

From Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking and Classic Indian Cooking
by Julie Sahni
Posted to BakeryShoppe Digest V1 #499 by "Terry Van Kirk"
tvankirk@pacbell.net on Jan 10, 1998