Ris a la Mande (Rice Pudding)

 1 vanilla pod (I usually just use vanilla...these are PRICEY)
4 Cups whole milk
1/2 Cup Rice
Salt
Blanched Almonds (almonds with skin removed), you really only need 1
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/3 Cup Sugar

Split the vanilla pod and removed the beans.  In a covered pot, boil the vanilla beans, milk, rice and a little salt over low heat for about 45 minutes.  Stir the pudding now and then.  Remove the vanilla beans and cool the pudding.  Stir the almond into the cold pudding.  Whip the cream and carefully fold it into the pudding.  Taste to see if it needs to be any sweeter.  

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Normally we serve this with a cherry topping you can get.  You make it almost like thicker fruit Jello.  However, last year, I made it with another old recipe I had Rote Grutze.  It's a german fruit pudding. It's normally served with a cream sauce on top...but I found that everyone really loved putting it on their Ris a la Mande...so it might be the new tradition.  :D

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This is another Christmas Eve tradition for us.  The person who finds the almond wins a prize (usually some fancy chocolate).

Again, I don't have Tina's (my mother in laws) actual recipe in hand.  If I did, it would probably be written in Danish.  I found this one in a cookbook called Secret Recipes! Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton (page 221).  I made it in 2023 and everyone loved it.  No complaints...so it's a keeper.