Among the sweet treats you can find at many bars or pasticcerie all year round there is budino di riso: a kind of soft rice cupcake or vanilla-scented rice pudding baked in short pastry and sprinkled with icing sugar. A long time ago in the countryside of Siena it was called “budinone”, a special dessert that families used to prepare for special occasions by mixing a few ingredients: milk, rice, eggs and sugar, then baking it without the crumbly pastry used today to contain the scented soft rice cream.
Modern "budini di riso" are perfect for a Tuscan style picnic, so I think spring is the perfect season to try this recipe. Many thanks to Serena Angelini (Pici e castagne) for the recipe and the amazing photos.
For the rice mixture
For the pastry
Cook the rice in milk following this method: