Italian Desserts Recipes - Rice Cakes (Tortelli di Riso) Recipe

Ingredients                                 

• 150 g/5 oz/2/3 cup arborio rice

• 300 ml/1 1/4 cups milk

• A pinch of salt

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 40 g/1 1/2 oz/3 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter

• 1 lemon

• 65 g/2 1/2 oz/good 1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

• 3 eggs, separated

• 30 ml/2 tbsp rum or Amaretto

• Oil for deep-frying

• 10 ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon

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Method:

1. Cook the rice in plenty of boiling water for 7 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and return to the pan with the milk.

2. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the milk has been absorbed.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, 15 ml/1 tbsp of the sugar and the butter. Grate the rind from the lemon and add to the rice (reserve the fruit for serving).

4. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the flour and beat in the egg yolks and rum or liqueur.

5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon.

6. Deep-fry spoonfuls of the mixture, a few at a time, until crisp and lightly golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

7. Mix the remaining sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the rice cakes and serve with the lemon cut in wedges.