Many of you know that I lived in Denmark for a short while. That’s where I met my husband, Paul, and it’s also the birthplace of The House That Lars Built! And though my time there was short, I grew to love the country, the traditions, and the food! Which is why I was thrilled to receive Leela Cyd’s new cookbook, “Tasting Hygge: Joyful Recipes for Cozy Days and Nights“! Hyyge is a Danish custom that’s caught quite a bit of attention the past few years. We even read about in our Book Club! Although there isn’t an exact English translation, hygge refers to a feeling of warmth and coziness, often characterized by glowing candles, warm sweaters, and close friends and family circled around a crackling fire. I think we can all get behind that.
Leela’s cookbook is full of recipes that capture these exact feelings. One recipe, in particular, caught my eye and I knew I had to share it! This Rice Porridge with Cranberries and Rose sounds absolutely dreamy, right? Paul makes rice pudding every year, so I know he’ll be thrilled to try this! Make sure to check out Tasting Hygge for more scrumptious recipes!
Continue for the full recipe!
Rice Porridge with Cranberries and Rose
Serves 4
In the dark days of winter, we gather by the fire for some quality time –the crackling and popping of pine logs can be the perfect soundtrack. Porridge is the ideal feast for this moment, simple to prepare and satisfying for all. This Norwegian-inspired version is cooked with plenty of whole milk, hot white rice, honey and butter. It works perfectly well with coconut or almond milk if dairy is not your thing. The toppings are up to your preference – living in California I love the magical touch of few dried rose petals from my garden, but brown sugar, a little butter and cinnamon are classic pantry staples and work perfectly well. Sometimes simple is best.
Porridge
- ¾ cup short-grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
For topping
- Cinnamon
- Brown sugar
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dried organic rose petals, lightly crushed
In a 4.5-quart pot, add rice and 1½ cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Stir in ⅓ of the milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, honey, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook until porridge is thickened and most of the milk has been absorbed, about 5–10 minutes. Stir in another ⅓ of the milk mixture, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until porridge is looking thick and creamy. Repeat the stirring, covering and cooking process until all the milk is used and rice is tender, about 35–45 minutes total.
Serve porridge in bowls with a small pat of the remaining butter (or more if you please), cinnamon, a sprinkle of cranberries, rose petals and brown sugar.
Thanks so much to Leela for letting us sharing a peek inside of her beautiful cookbook, “Tasting Hygge.” Make sure to go grab yourself a copy!