Rice Pudding with Sour Cherries

Ingredients

• 1 kg sour cherries
• 250 g sugar
• 150 ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 500 ml milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp butter
• 0.5 Vanilla pod
• 0.5 tsp lemon zest
• 30 g sugar
• 125 g rice pudding grains
• 4 tbsp sugar-cinnamon mix (for sprinkling)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the cherries, remove stems and optionally pit them or keep the stones for extra flavor. Boil the sugar with water and spices. Place the prepared cherries in pre-washed jars, pour the hot syrup over to cover the fruit, and seal the jars with twist-off lids.

2. 2.

   Place a kitchen towel in a pot, set the jars on top, and add enough hot water so that the jars are half-submerged. Cover and gradually heat on the stove until bubbles rise in the jars. Maintain this temperature for about 20 minutes, then turn off and let cool. For the rice pudding, split the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the seeds. Pour the milk into a pot. Add salt, butter, lemon zest, sugar, and the vanilla seeds.

3. 3.

   Bring the milk to a boil with occasional stirring. Add the rice pudding grains to the boiling milk and stir briefly until it starts to simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and let the rice absorb liquid for about 40-45 minutes, depending on grain size; do not open the lid during this time. Remove the vanilla pod. Arrange the cooked rice in deep bowls, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, top with cherries, and serve.