Date rice pudding with orange sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 125 g rice pudding
• 500 ml whole milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick(s)
• 4 cardamom pods
• 100 g dates
• 5 organic oranges
• 5 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Grate the zest of half an organic orange and set aside. Juice the orange and set the juice aside for the sauce. Bring the milk to a boil with the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir in the rice pudding, add the cinnamon stick, slightly opened cardamom pods and orange zest and cook everything according to the package instructions. In the meantime, pit the dates and cut them into small pieces. Add enough juice to the squeezed orange juice to make a total of 125 ml for the sauce. Segment the remaining oranges, also collecting any juice that runs out. Set the orange segments aside. Melt the sugar in a saucepan and caramelize until golden brown while stirring. Carefully add the orange juice (it may splash!). Dissolve the caramel in the juice while stirring and let the sauce reduce slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange segments. When the rice pudding is ready, remove the spices and carefully season with sugar and salt if desired, and stir in the date pieces. Serve with the sauce. This dessert tastes good hot or cold. Tip: As a festive dessert, fill the lukewarm date rice pudding into serving rings and let it cool in the fridge. Allow half a sachet of ground gelatine to swell with 4 tablespoons of cold water and warm gently. Pour into the hot, but no longer boiling, orange sauce and stir before it has reduced too much. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in the fillets and allow to cool further until the mixture begins to set. Fill the serving rings onto the date rice and allow to cool. To serve, place the rings on a plate, carefully remove them, and serve the dessert decorated with orange segments and brittle.