Rice Pudding with Apples | Aromatic Traditional Dessert

Rinse the round grain rice well under cold running water until the water runs clear. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. When the milk starts to boil, add the rice and let it simmer over low to medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Towards the end, stir in half of the granulated white sugar (50 g) and one packet of vanilla sugar (8 g). Turn off the heat and let the rice cool completely.

Wash, peel, and core the apples, then grate them using the coarse side of a box grater. In a spacious pan, melt 25 g of butter, add the grated apples, the remaining granulated white sugar (50 g), and the ground cinnamon. Sauté the apples over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until they release their juice and it almost completely evaporates, intensifying the flavors. Let the apple mixture cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Separate the eggs: beat the egg yolks with the remaining vanilla sugar (8 g) and fold them into the cooled rice. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form with a small pinch of salt, then gently fold them into the rice mixture with a spatula, using delicate bottom-to-top motions to keep the air and fluffy texture of the pudding.