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Golden Tuscan rice tartlets dusted with powdered sugar, arranged on a marble board with orange zest scattered nearby

Budino di Riso: Baked Tuscan Rice Tartlets with Rum

Individual Tuscan pastry tartlets filled with a dense, orange-and-rum-scented rice filling, baked until pale gold and just set.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8 tartlets
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Tuscan
Calories: 416

Ingredients
  

Pastry (pasta frolla)
  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 100 g cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 80 g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 lemon zest lemon; finely grated
Rice filling
  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 100 g Arborio rice
  • 60 g granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 vanilla bean split, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 orange zest orange; finely grated
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp dark rum optional
  • 30 g raisins soaked in warm water 10 minutes, drained, optional
  • 1 tbsp butter for greasing tins
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Method
 

Make the pastry
  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, 80 g sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  2. Add the egg, egg yolk, and lemon zest. Mix until the dough just comes together, then turn onto the counter and shape into a disk. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Cook the rice filling
  1. Bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan with the vanilla bean and orange zest. Stir in the rice, reduce heat to low, and cook uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the mixture looks like loose porridge, not dry.
  2. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Stir in the 60 g sugar and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes off the heat.
  3. Beat the 2 eggs in a separate bowl, then stir them into the cooled rice mixture along with the rum and drained raisins.
Assemble and bake
  1. Heat the oven to 180C / 350F. Butter the 8 tartlet tins.
  2. Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface to 3 mm thickness. Cut rounds to fit the tins, press gently into place, and trim excess pastry flush with the rim.
  3. Divide the rice filling evenly among the tartlet shells, about 65 g each, filling to just below the rim.
  4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry edges are golden and the filling is set with only a slight jiggle in the center.
  5. Cool the tartlets in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

  • Chill dough at least 30 minutes before rolling for a crisper shell.
  • Cook rice until porridge-loose, not dry, since it firms up baking.
  • Don't skip the raisin soak, or they dry out in the oven.
  • Trim pastry edges flush with the tin rim to avoid burnt overhang.