This Swiss Rice Tart is traditionally served only at Easter time in Switzerland. It has a custard filling with rice pudding, ground almonds, and a sweet and buttery crust. It is pretty labor intensive, but don’t let that discourage you. The end result is well worth the time and effort.
Swiss Rice Tart
Sweet Pastry Crust
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, a little extra on the side for dusting
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons cold water
Rice pudding custard
- ½ cup rice
- 1½ cups water
- 2 cups evaporated milk
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup amaretto liqueur
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- ½ cup almond meal flour
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- â…“ cup confectioners’ sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine 1 ½ cups flour, 1 Tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and the baking powder in food processor. Pulse to blend.
- Add 10 Tablespoons butter and pulse 3 to 4 times, until butter is in pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 3 Tablespoons cold water. Pulse 4 times. Dough will not come together.
- Turn dough out on lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times to form a disk.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Add ½ cup amaretto liqueur & ½ cup raisins, in a small bowl. Let the raisins soak until you are ready to add to the rice pudding custard.
- Meanwhile, half fill a 3-quart saucepan with 1½ cups water, bring to a boil. Stir in rice, lower heat to medium and cook until rice is soft – about 15 minutes or longer until the water almost evaporates completely.
- Add evaporated milk & skim milk, 1 Tablespoon butter, ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to low and add the amaretto liqueur. Leave the raisin aside.
- Simmer until mixture has thickened almost to a risotto consistency, about 20 minutes.
- Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to cool mixture.
- When cooled, purée mixture in food processor. Then pour into a bowl and add lemon zest and raisins.
- Mix ground almonds with 1 Tablespoon flour and add to bowl. Stir in eggs one at a time.
- Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove pastry from refrigerator and place on lightly floured surface.
- Lightly dust top with flour. Use a rolling pin to press down on dough to soften it.
- Roll out disk to 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Press dough evenly into pan. Trim edges flush with pan. Pour filling into pastry dough.
- Bake about 35 minutes, until filling is set and golden.
- Cool on a rack. Dust with sifted confectioners’ sugar before serving.
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