How do you make rice pudding without rice? No, that’s not a pun, but a genuine question that Justice Thurgood Marshall asked himself before creating Farmers Rice Pudding (Rice Not Included). A gem of Depression era cooking, making the most of meager rations, I can’t help but respect such reckless creativity.
It’s hard to imagine a time when rice, renowned for being abundant and affordable, would be subject to such shortages. In the early 1900’s, however, most American farmers focused their efforts on wheat and corn, leaving rice production concentrated in a relatively small number of regions along the Gulf Coast and in parts of California. Domestic production alone wasn’t enough to meet growing demand and imports were out of the question on rapidly shrinking budgets.
The technique itself, of cutting an egg into flour until it resembles tiny grains, is much older than the Depression. It’s a traditional Central and Eastern European method used to make tiny dumplings or noodles, such as Hungarian tarhonya, nokedli, or German spaetzle. These dishes are usually savory, rather than sweet, saying more about the American proclivity for sugar than anything else. Even in tough times, we must have our desserts.
While my pantry will never be without rice, the same can be said of flour. And oh, so many types of flour at that! Driven now by innovation rather than scarcity, this recipe presents a unique opportunity for customization. Personally, I adore all-purpose einkorn flour and will always use it over conventional white wheat, which is exactly what I did here. It adds an uncanny buttery flavor and flaxen color, to say nothing of all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, especially compared to long grain white rice. Studded with tiny dumplings, chewy but yielding, I might like it even better than the conventional whole grain custard.
Justice Marshall was clearly ahead of his time. Riceless pudding never garnered the same acclaim as mock apple pie or wacky cake, which is a real shame. Maybe rice pudding was just never as popular as other desserts, too homely to share, even in a time before social media. It may sound like a novelty, but I’m shocked to find myself making it as a regular treat now. For such humble fair, it really tastes stunningly decadent.
Riceless Farmer's Pudding
Can you make rice pudding without rice? You bet! Einkorn flour mixed with aquafaba turns into tiny dumplings that recreate the look and texture of white rice, but with even better flavor and nutrition. My version is slightly more decadent than the original Depression recipe with the addition of vanilla and raisins, but you can omit them when times are lean.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Aquafaba
- 2 Cups Boiling Non-Dairy Milk
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Raisins (Optional)
Instructions
- Place the flour in a small bowl and add the aquafaba. Mix with a fork until it create fine crumbs, like a streusel topping. Don't worry if there's a fair amount of plain flour left unmixed.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk the non-dairy milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then add the crumbly flour mixture, stirring vigorously. Bring to a boil then immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the raisins.
- Divide the mixture between 3 - 4 custard cups and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours before enjoying.
Notes
The process for making the "rice" is imprecise, so you may end up with more or less excess flour. As a result, the pudding may need more liquid if it ends up too thick, or more flour mixed into a slurry if it's too thin. Adjust to taste!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 306Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 2gSugar: 37gProtein: 8g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.
