The creamy Tuscan rice puddings are an everlasting classic from Tuscan cafés, always on display next to the “paste” — the typical Florentine small pastries. Perfect to accompany a coffee at breakfast or as a delicious snack for kids, these little cakes win you over with their soft, enveloping texture.
Their distinctive shape is traditionally given by a special mold, but if you don’t have one don’t worry: in the Tools section I’ll give a few suggestions to reproduce the effect without losing the final result. The recipe is traditional, even mentioned by Artusi, and as often happens in Tuscany every café and every family has its own version: mine is inspired by the countless puddings I ate as a child, with that flavor that stays in the heart.
They are not hard to make, but a little laborious: patience is required mainly to obtain a smooth cream and a crumbly shortcrust shell. The good news is that they can also be made with the Bimby, making the process simpler and faster without giving up the authentic taste.
For other typical Tuscan sweets check out these links!
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Cooking time: 1 Day 40 Minutes
- Portions: 17 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian regional
- Region: Tuscany
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the creamy Tuscan rice puddings
As often happens with traditional recipes, the Tuscan rice puddings have many variations. Some prepare them with a firmer filling and others prefer a creamier texture; some don’t add pastry cream while others consider it essential; some roll the shortcrust pastry very thin while others leave it a bit thicker to obtain a crispier shell.
The version I make is the one I love most: a soft, fragrant filling, enriched with pastry cream, enclosed in a crumbly shortcrust shell. It is my interpretation of the rice puddings from Tuscan cafés, inspired by those I ate as a child.
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups rice (Originario or Roma)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 bean vanilla
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 1/2 tbsp Vin Santo (sweet wine)
- 2 tsp orange zest
- salt
- Half sachet saffron (optional)
- 2 1/8 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 bean vanilla
Tools
One of the most distinctive elements for making the creamy Tuscan rice puddings is the shape of the sweets. In Florence, in well-stocked kitchenware shops, you can find small oval molds, similar to those for pasticciotto leccese but in a mini version.
If you don’t have them, don’t worry: you can choose to “give up” the traditional shape and use a muffin tin, or, as I did, use round aluminum baking cups and try to shape them slightly oval. In any case, the important thing is to have molds that hold the filling well and allow you to unmold the puddings without problems.
- 1 High-sided saucepan
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Pastry board
- 1 Round cutters
- 17 Molds for rice puddings
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Food processor
Steps
To make the creamy Tuscan rice puddings you need to prepare several components: the shortcrust pastry, the rice cream and, in this version, also a velvety pastry cream, which doesn’t always appear in other recipes but makes the puddings even softer and more indulgent. Don’t worry: once all the elements are ready, you only need to combine them to get perfect puddings. We’ll go through each phase step by step, clearly and simply, so you can follow the recipe without missing a detail.
In a large, high-sided saucepan, pour the milk with the sugar, a pinch of salt and the softened butter. Bring the milk almost to a boil, stirring gently, until the butter has completely melted. This step is essential to start preparing the rice cream, the soft and velvety base of your Tuscan rice puddings, which will win everyone over with their creamy texture and delicate flavor.
When the butter has melted into the hot milk, turn the heat to low and add the rice and the split vanilla bean. Stir often to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom: this helps obtain a soft and fragrant rice cream, ready to become the heart of your puddings.
After about 20 minutes, the rice will have absorbed almost all the milk and will be tender, ready to break apart slightly. If the rice is not yet soft enough, continue cooking over low heat, adding a little milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency for your rice cream.
When the rice is soft, full-bodied and has absorbed all the milk and other ingredients, turn off the pot and let it cool. I, once it is lukewarm, transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. To proceed with the recipe, the rice must be completely cold: in my case it took about 4 hours. Some prefer to prepare it the evening before so everything is ready to complete the puddings the next day.
For the pastry cream — of which we will use about 300–350 g — I made it with the Bimby, but of course it can also be prepared the traditional way on the stove. In my case, I put all the ingredients in the Bimby bowl and cooked for 10 minutes at 194 °F (90 °C), speed 4, obtaining a smooth, velvety cream ready to be combined with the rice for the puddings.
Once ready, let the pastry cream cool slightly and transfer it to a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap directly on the surface. This way the cream will keep its smooth and velvety consistency, ready to be folded into the rice for the puddings.
To make the shortcrust pastry I used the Bimby, but a food processor, a stand mixer or simply working by hand are all fine. Start by sifting the flour and placing it in the bowl, then add the powdered sugar and the seeds from half a vanilla bean.
To prepare the shortcrust pastry with the Bimby, simply put all the ingredients — sifted flour, powdered sugar, cold butter in pieces and egg yolks — in the bowl. Knead for about 2 minutes in spiga mode, until you obtain a homogeneous dough. This will be the crumbly base of your shortcrust pastry, ready to hold the rice cream of the puddings.
Transfer the shortcrust pastry to a lightly sugared work surface and handle it quickly until you have a compact disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour: this will help the dough firm up, making it easier to roll out and shape into the molds for the puddings.
At this point we are ready to assemble the creamy Tuscan rice puddings. In the bowl with the completely cooled rice, add about 300–350 g of pastry cream, adjusting the amount depending on how runny the cream is or how creamy/dry you want the puddings to be. Stir gently until you obtain a homogeneous mixture, ready to be portioned into the molds.
Mix the rice and pastry cream until you have a well-blended mixture. Then add the two yolks, the orange zest and the half sachet of saffron, continuing to mix gently. This will ensure the filling for your creamy Tuscan rice puddings is uniform, fragrant and ready to be placed in the molds.
Finish the filling by adding a little Vin Santo or a similar sweet wine, then mix well. At this point the filling is ready to be used and put into the molds.
Roll the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of about half a centimeter (approx. 0.2 in). I used round cutters to make the disks, then fitted them to the slightly ovalized aluminum cups greased with nonstick spray, placing the shortcrust circle inside. This creates the perfect base to contain the rice and pastry cream filling of the puddings.
After preparing all the shortcrust shells and preheating the oven to 356 °F (180 °C), fill each cup about two-thirds full with the rice and pastry cream mixture, using a couple of tablespoons. Place the cups on a baking tray and get ready to bake, so you obtain perfectly golden and fragrant creamy Tuscan rice puddings.
Bake the creamy Tuscan rice puddings at 356 °F (180 °C) for about 30–40 minutes, until nicely golden. Once out of the oven, let them cool completely. To get the classic café-style finish, dust with powdered sugar before serving: it adds a sweet, inviting touch, perfect for breakfast or snack time.
Creamy Tuscan rice puddings keep well in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 1–2 days. They can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. For a special touch, serve them with a little extra pastry cream, a sprinkle of powdered sugar or some grated orange zest. Perfect for an indulgent breakfast, a children’s snack or a homemade café treat.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which type of rice should I use?
For traditional creamy Tuscan rice puddings use a short-grain rice, such as Originario or Baldo. Alternatively, Arborio rice is acceptable, but it’s better to avoid other types. Short-grain rice absorbs milk and pastry cream well, creating the perfect creamy texture.
How do I make the puddings without the proper molds?If you don’t have the typical oval molds, you can use round aluminum baking cups that you can slightly ovalize or a muffin tin.
Can I make the puddings creamier or drier?
Yes, just adjust the amount of pastry cream added to the rice. More cream will give softer, creamier puddings; less cream will give a firmer filling.
Can I speed up the recipe using ready-made preparations?
Yes, if you’re short on time you can simplify preparation by using a ready-made shortcrust pastry and a pre-made or store-bought pastry cream. This way you only need to make the rice cream and assemble the puddings. The result will still be very good, although the fully homemade version is truest to the traditional Tuscan rice puddings.
How should I store the Tuscan rice puddings?
Store them in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 1–2 days. They can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature.
