The Secret Ingredient (Chamomile): Chamomile Rice Pudding with Tea-Soaked Golden Raisins Recipe

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Kerry Saretsky

Chamomile is the comfort tea, built to settle any stomach, or any mind, at the end of a nervous, over-stuffed day. And to me, nothing is more comforting than rice pudding. This dessert plays with both chamomile tea and dried chamomile blossoms, both of which imbue a mellow floralness that counteracts the sweetness of traditional rice pudding. It's creamy and studded with golden raisins rehydrated in a mug of chamomile tea, and sweet, sticky, floral honey. Instead of sweet, pungent, and heady vanilla—traditional in rice pudding—this version is subtle and dressed-down.

Recipe Details

The Secret Ingredient (Chamomile): Chamomile Rice Pudding with Tea-Soaked Golden Raisins Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 40 mins
Total 45 mins
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups water

  • 3 tablespoons of dried edible chamomile flowers

  • 4 cups milk

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 cup arborio rice

  • 1 chamomile tea bag

  • 1/4 cup golden raisins

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • Pinch salt

  • 1/4 cup cream to finish (optional)

  • Honey

Directions

  1. Start as though you were making a risotto. In two separate pots, heat the water and the milk. Place the chamomile flowers (not the tea bags) in the water, and allow to steep for at least ten minutes. Strain the flowers out, and return the chamomile water to the pan to keep warm.

  2. Melt the butter in a wide pan with sides over medium low heat. Add the rice, and stir to coat, cooking for just a minute in the butter until the rice turns translucent.

  3. Use a ladle to add the water bit by bit to the rice, adding more only as it is absorbed, and stirring continuously. Once you have used all the water, switch to milk, and continue to stir.

  4. Meanwhile, brew a cup of chamomile tea with the tea bag. Place the golden raisins in the tea to rehydrate.

  5. Once most of the milk has been used, and the pudding has reached a thick, porridge-like texture, add the sugar and stir it in to melt over the heat. Add the pinch of salt as well.

  6. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in a splash of cream to finish, and serve hot, in separate bowls or ramekins. Strain the golden raisins out of the tea, and top the pudding with them. Serve with honey alongside.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1132 Calories
22g Fat
201g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 1132
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 14g 68%
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 681mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 201g 73%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 141g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 1281mg 99%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 1862mg 40%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)