Pudding Tuscany Risotto: Delicious and Creamy Recipe!

This isn’t your everyday rice pudding. This pudding-style risotto is a creamy dessert wrapped in buttery shortcrust pastry. It is rich with the scent of lemon zest and vanilla, and boasts of tradition and refined sweetness.

It offers a trio of textures, custard, rice cream, and pastry casing, bringing together a homey flavor.

What is Pudding Tuscany Risotto?

Traditionally called “budino di riso”, this creamy rice pudding nestled in a crisp pastry crust hails from the region of Tuscany, particularly around Florence. In the 1800s, it was often served during religious festivals or sold warm from local bakeries.

You might spot variations across the region, some spike it with cinnamon and others add raisins. But the essential formula always centers on rice cooked slowly in milk, kissed with citrus, and hugged in pastry.

Pro Tips for the Best Pudding Tuscany Risotto

• Use Arborio or another starchy rice and not basmati or jasmine. You need short-grain rice that gets creamy when cooked.
• Let components cool before combining because hot custard and hot rice leads to a liquidy mess.
• Prick the pastry base to prevent bubbling in the oven and help the filling sit flat.
• Dust with powdered sugar only after baking, as doing it before will just melt it away.

Can I Freeze Pudding Tuscany Risotto?

Not the best idea because the creamy rice texture changes dramatically when frozen. If you must freeze, do it before baking and only for the pastry shell.

Is It Served Warm or Cold?

It’s traditionally served at room temperature or cold. That gives the custard time to set and lets the lemon and vanilla flavors shine through. Warm isn’t wrong, but it’s not the classic route.

Can I Skip the Shortcrust and Just Use the Filling?

You can, but it’ll feel incomplete. The shortcrust adds structure, without it, you’ll end up with rice pudding in a ramekin, which is fine, but not this dessert.

What Can I Use Instead of Vanilla Sugar?

A few drops of vanilla extract will do the trick. Just be sure to stir it in after the cooking process so the flavor doesn’t vanish into the steam.

How to Store Any Leftovers

Once baked, refrigerate them for 3–4 days. Don’t leave them out too long after baking because the custard and milk-based desserts can get grumpy at room temperature.

How to Make Pudding Tuscany Risotto

In a saucepan, mix milk, sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, and rice. Let it cook until the rice is soft, FOR around 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

In a bowl, mix flour and butter with your fingers until crumbly. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest, salt, and egg. Stir until it begins to form a dough, then knead gently by hand until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.

Heat milk with a splash of vanilla extract until just boiling, then remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until dissolved.

Then, add cornstarch and mix before pouring the hot milk into the yolk mixture and stir.

Return your mixture to the pot and cook until thickened.

Combine the rice and custard in a bowl and stir until you get a creamy filling.

Take the chilled dough and divide in half. Roll it out and cut out 9cm discs.

Line muffin molds with these discs, pressing them in gently, and prick the bottoms with a fork.

Spoon the creamy filling into each pastry cup and bake at 180°C (360°F) for 20 minutes.

Dust them with powdered sugar and serve.