Rice Cream with Fresh Strawberries and Jam

Well, apparently rice cream is a Norwegian treat.  My paternal grandparents are of Norwegian decent and I don't recall ever seeing any rice cream on Mimi's table.  Mostly I remember a lot of creamed corn and homemade pickles! 

I have to say though, of all the treats available in Disney's EPCOT theme park it's the rice cream in the Norway pavilion that I look forward to the most.   It's awesome!  Rice cream is like a creamier rice pudding that is served cold with a sweet strawberry topping.  Perfect for a hot Florida day. I should have known I'd love it since I enjoy that section of EPCOT so much anyway.  Seriously, who can resist a ride on the Maelstrom or a trip through the (wonderfully air conditioned) Stave church?  

 

This crazy pretzel hangs above the doorway to the EPCOT Norway bakery.  Isn't it cool?  I did some digging and found that in the real Norway it's not called a pretzel but a kringle and is a reference to pastry.  Apparently the kringle symbol is one of the few ancient guild signs still used and a traditional kringle sign is often hung outside bakery shops.  Ah, don't ya love Disney's attention to the details?!
 
I took this recipe right from the Disney Food Blog and added my own tweaks of course. The recipe calls for just a jam topping but I prefer to add fresh strawberries, too.  I also suspect there is a bit of cardamom in the Disney version that isn't listed in the original recipe.  I've added it.  My Scottish Bellman gives it a thumbs up :)



BTW, this is my favorite strawberry jam.  I buy it in Plant City, Florida (home of the BEST strawberries).  It is available to order right from the Parksdale Farm Market website if you're interested.






RICE CREAM
Yield = 6 servings

1 1/2 c water
1/4 tsp salt

1C short grain white rice
2 C milk (whole)
1/4tsp cardamom
1tsp vanilla bean paste

1C heavy cream
1/4C sugar
2tsp vanilla


1.  Bring water and salt to a boil.

2.  Add the rice, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

3.  Add the milk, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

4.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

5.  In another bowl, whip the heavy cream, vanilla and sugar.

6. With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream mixture into the rice.

7.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


STRAWBERRY TOPPING

1C strawberries, sliced
3T sugar
1/4C strawberry jam
1T fresh lemon juice

1.  Clean and slice the strawberries.   Add sugar and refrigerate.

2.  Add lemon juice to jam and microwave for about 15 seconds.

3.  Combine jam with strawberries and pour over rice cream prior to serving.

Enjoy!