Vanilla Baked Rice Pudding with Hazelnuts, Blueberries and Blackberries

• 2/3 cup medium grain rice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg grated
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cream
• 2 tbsp hazelnut paste
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, sliced
• 3/4 cup, blackberries
• 3/4 cup, Blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 lemon

Here’s how

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, this helps remove excess starch, giving you a creamier pudding.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, pour in the milk and add the rinsed rice
3. If you’re using a vanilla bean, split it open lengthwise with a knife and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the pod into the milk and rice mixture along with the cinnamon stick and freshly grated nutmeg.
4. Sprinkle in the sugar and a pinch of salt, then stir everything together gently. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. Be sure to keep an eye on it to prevent the milk from boiling over.
6. Once it starts simmering, reduce the heat to low and let it cook uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. The rice will absorb the milk, and the mixture will thicken.
8. Meanwhile to make the fruit compote, simply scatter the berries into a pan with the sugar and squeeze over the lemon juice.
9. Heat the berries gently until it comes up to a simmer, turn the heat down and cook for 5 minutes, don’t be tempted to stir the fruit as you don’t want to break up the berries.
10. Test the rice by tasting, it should be tender yet slightly firm, and the pudding should have a creamy consistency. If needed, cook it a bit longer until you achieve the desired texture.
11. Once the rice is cooked and the pudding has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the mascarpone cream for a little extra creaminess .
12. Remove the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick from the mixture as it has done its work.
13. Pour the rice pudding into serving bowls or a larger bowl if serving family-style and top with the fruit compote, scatter with sliced Oregon Hazelnuts and drizzle with nut butter.
14. You can enjoy it warm or let it cool to room temperature before serving.