Baked saffron rice pudding

This sunny saffron-flavored delight is a culinary ode to my childhood memories, when my mom was baking Christmas turkey stuffed with rice and raisins. That rice was so unforgettably delicious that later on (when I grew up:)) I wanted to prepare it in a similar way. This sweet rice bake is my tiny remind of family holidays, cosiness, fairy tales and magic. Saffron adds the sunniness and one of a kind flavor:)

P.S. Adding cardamom is not necessary here as saffron by itself is enough. I just ♥ rice and cardamom combination and don’t skip a chance to cook them together:)
You can use up your leftover rice for this dessert that can be a portable breakfast too. Enjoy!:)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup rice
2 cups water
pinch of salt
2 pods of cardamom, optionally
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
15 strands saffron
50 g black raisins
50 g dried cranberries
a few minced almonds for garnishing

Method

Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs clear.

Pour the water into a heavy medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the rice, a pinch of salt and ground cardamom seeds (optionally). When the rice is at boiling point, reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 20 to 25 minutes until tender, and all the water has evaporated. Add 2 tbsp of butter and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 21 cm square baking dish (any oven-safe dish will work).

Beat the eggs and sugar together until creamy. Add the rice, raisins, dried cranberries, ground strands of saffron and stir to combine. Pour mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. It will firm up as it cools. Serve warm or cooled, garnished with almonds.

Bon Appétit!