Easy Mother’s Day Potluck Recipe You Can Make In Advance
Holiday celebrations that honor residents are among the most popular ways to unite active adult communities. May is the spring month dedicated to the mothers of the world. Whether your children have two legs, four legs, or both, the women in the family deserve to be treated on Mother’s Day.
This rice pudding recipe is an easy way to bring something to your 55+ community clubhouse that complements the spring season with Middle Eastern flavors. The combination of rose water, vanilla, and cardamom blends nicely with the creaminess of the cold dessert. This recipe uses less sugar than everyday rice pudding, making it a healthy alternative. The addition of salted pistachios balances the sweet with a hint of saltiness. And finally, using easy-to-prepare rose petals from your garden gives the dish a flowery presentation.
Easy Rose and Cardamom Rice Pudding Recipe
Traditional rice pudding recipes rely on vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar for a flavorful spoonful. Our version of this creamy, cold, and refreshing potluck dessert focuses on the flavor of the Middle East. Your well-traveled neighbors will be delighted to taste your exotic offering, bringing back the memories of their travels. Your more traditional neighbors will find this dessert a delightful twist on an old favorite.
Rose water and cardamom can be found in the baking or ethnic food aisle of your grocery store. Pistachios are usually displayed in the fresh produce department. Be sure to get the shelled pistachios or be prepared to shell the nuts before adding them!
Order online if you’re uncomfortable harvesting edible rose petals from your community garden roses. If you’re harvesting your own, we recommend rinsing them well under cold water and removing the bitter white parts where the petals are the narrowest.
As for your effort, the mothers you’re celebrating will appreciate the addition of an edible bouquet. This rice pudding recipe is easy to make, economical, and best served cold. We suggest you add the rose petals and chopped pistachios as a garnish before serving. This recipe makes about 12, 5-oz servings.
Rose and Cardamom Rice Pudding with Pistachios
- 6 C whole milk
- ½ C sugar
- 1 C white rice rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ Tablespoon rose water
- 1 Tsp ground cardamom
- ½ Tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
- 1 C Chopped, shelled, and salted pistachios
- ¼ C Slivered rose petals with white parts removed
Instructions
- Bring milk and sugar to a low boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan, being careful not to scald.
- While the milk mixture is heating up, rinse the rice in fresh water until the water is clear. Leave rice to soak in water until the milk mixture is ready.
- When the milk mixture is at a low boil, add the drained rice and stir until boiling. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover, leaving a small area to vent, and cook until creamy, about 30 minutes.
- Mix rose water, cardamom, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and set aside.
- When the rice is creamy, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the rose water mixture. Leave the pudding uncovered to cool before transferring it to a container, covering, and refrigerating for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
- When ready, you can serve individual portions or as a communal dish. We like using plastic 5-oz parfait cups for easy portioning and presentation. If serving communally, we suggest using a punch bowl to add to the formality of the festivities.
A Perfect Potluck Addition
As you prepare for the neighborhood Mother’s Day potluck, consider bringing something easy to make that brings an exotic flavor to the other offerings. This easy rose water and cardamom rice pudding recipe will surely be popular as it combines spring flavors with easy preparation and serving. Adding rose petals and crushed pistachios transforms a simple cold pudding into a floral delight that’s easy to serve and enjoy!
