Ingredients
- 150 g short-grain rice
- 840 ml whole milk
- 120 ml Québec maple syrup
- 240 ml water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 strip orange zest
- 1 pinch salt
- Ground cinnamon for serving
Method
- Rinse the rice and simmer it with water, cinnamon, zest, and salt until almost tender.
- Add the milk and simmer gently, stirring often, until creamy and fully cooked.
- Stir in maple syrup and cook for 5 minutes without boiling hard.
- Remove the aromatics, divide into bowls, and serve warm or chilled with cinnamon.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 150 g white sugar
Conversion used: Replace 150 g sugar with 120 ml maple syrup; reduce milk by 60 ml to balance the added liquid; add the maple near the end to retain its aroma.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple adds warm woodsy notes to the cinnamon and citrus traditionally used in this dessert. The substitution reduces reliance on refined sugar while highlighting a local Canadian product.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →