Belgian rice cake

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 140 g short grain rice
• 900 ml milk
• 30 g butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 4 packets of vanilla sugar
• 4 tbsp, heaped sugar, fine
• 2 eggs
• 200 g flour
• 7 g dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 90 ml milk
• 50 g butter, melted
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• Fat for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 14 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 15 hours 50 minutes

Specialty from Belgium – slightly less sweet than the original – For a springform pan of 26cm ∅

The day before, wash the rice, halve the vanilla pod, and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife. Bring the milk, vanilla seeds, and pod to a boil in a saucepan. Then add the rice and let it simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Stir in a pinch of salt, the vanilla sugar, and the sugar, let it cool, and refrigerate until the next day. On the day you want to prepare the dough, knead the flour, yeast, lukewarm milk, salt, sugar, 1 egg yolk, and the melted butter into a smooth dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until it has significantly increased in volume. Tip: I always cover it in a bowl with cling film and place it in the oven at around 40-50°C (top/bottom heat). It will then double in size in about 30 minutes and is ready to use. After it has risen, roll the dough out into a circle with a diameter of about 40 cm. Grease the baking pan, pour in the dough, and ensure the edges are as high as possible. Pierce the dough several times with a fork. Now complete the rice mixture. Remove the vanilla pod. Separate 2 eggs. Stir 1 egg yolk into the rice. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Pour the rice filling onto the dough, whisk the remaining egg yolk, and gently spread it over the surface with a brush. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (top/bottom heat) for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for at least 2 hours after baking. The tart is perfect when the center is still tender and moist. It tastes even better after 1-2 days. It’s a matter of taste. Some people like it fresh and still lukewarm, others (like me) enjoy it best cold from the fridge.