Emily's Sweet Cherry Rice Casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g rice pudding
• 250 g cherries
• 80 g butter
• 100 g sugar
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 liter of milk
• 1 lemon(s), untreated
• Butter and breadcrumbs for the mold
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

Heat the milk in a wide saucepan. Wash the lemon in hot water and peel off a few pieces of the peel with a potato peeler. As soon as the milk boils, add the salt, lemon zest, and rice. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Let the rice porridge simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Cover and let stand for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Wash and pit the cherries. Cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy. Separate the eggs. Gradually stir the egg yolks into the butter mixture, then the egg yolk mixture into the rice porridge. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the rice. Grease a shallow baking dish with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Pour the rice mixture into the baking dish and smooth it down. Arrange the cherries on top, pressing them down lightly. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes and serve hot.