Ingredients

• 1½ litres/2½ pints whole milk
• 300g/10½oz short grain or pudding rice
• 15g/½oz butter
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• split
• 100g/3½oz blanched almonds
• finely chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz cherries
• pitted
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• 2 tsp arrowroot
• kirsch
• to taste (optional)
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• whipped

Directions

• Put the milk
• rice
• butter
• caster sugar and vanilla pod into a large saucepan. Heat it very slowly
• until almost at boiling point
• then turn it down. Cook for around 30 minutes on a very low heat
• stirring frequently to make sure it does not stick to the bottom.
• Meanwhile
• make the cherry compôte. Put the cherries in a saucepan with the caster sugar
• lemon juice and 300ml/10 fl oz water. Heat slowly
• stirring constantly
• until the sugar has dissolved
• then simmer for around 10 minutes until the cherries are slightly softened. Mix the arrowroot with a little water and stir until smooth. Add to the cherries as they are simmering and stir until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the kirsch
• if using.
• Stir the almonds into the pudding. Serve the pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and a large spoonful of the cherry compôte.