Marzipan-Milchreis (marzipan rice pudding)

Method

1. Combine the rice, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt in a 3 litre pot. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally so nothing settles yet.
2. Turn the heat down low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, more often as it thickens near the end. This is the step that needs attention; the starch settles and scorches fast once it starts to catch.
3. Stir in the butter, then remove from the heat.
4. Stir in the grated marzipan while the pudding is still hot, working it through until it has fully melted in with no visible lumps.
5. Serve warm, with cinnamon sugar spooned over, or a fruit compote alongside if that suits the table better.

Method in the Thermomix

Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl.

1. Insert the butterfly. Add the rice, milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt. Cook 30 min / 90 °C / reverse / speed 1, measuring cup on. The butterfly keeps the mixture moving gently the whole time, so there is nothing to watch or stir by hand.
2. Remove the butterfly. Stir in the butter. Mix 10 sec / reverse / speed 1.
3. Add the grated marzipan while still hot. Mix 20 sec / reverse / speed 2, until fully melted through with no lumps.
4. Serve warm, with cinnamon sugar or a fruit compote.

Notes

• Grate the marzipan rather than cubing it. Grated marzipan melts into the hot pudding within seconds; cubed pieces can survive as lumps that never fully dissolve.
• Stir it in off the heat, not on it. Marzipan scorches easily if it hits the base of a hot pot directly, and it does not need any further cooking once it is in.
• The pudding thickens considerably as it cools. If reheating leftovers, loosen with a splash of milk; it firms up almost to a spoonable solid overnight in the fridge.
• It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, covered directly against the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming.

Ingredient substitutions

• Marzipan can be replaced with persipan, the apricot kernel equivalent, for anyone with a marzipan preference against almonds specifically, though true almond-free substitutes are hard to find for this dish.
• Whole milk gives the richest result; a mix of milk and single cream makes it richer still for a special occasion, or part oat milk for a lighter, slightly different pudding.
• A fruit compote of stewed cherries or plums alongside is the classic pairing and cuts through the sweetness of the marzipan well.
• For a lighter version, reduce the sugar to 25 g and rely more on the marzipan, which already carries plenty of sweetness on its own.