Recipes: Swedish Rice Porridge
By Melissa Brewster, Age 11

Swedish Rice Porridge is a favorite pioneer food in Sweden known as Skansk Grot which would make Kirsten Larson in 1854 from the American Girls Collection feel at home in America.

A scrumptious breakfast food constructed of rice, butter, raisins, apples, cinnamon and some other basics. This special recipe from The American Girl Cookbook is not very difficult and will make six servings. Ingredients 1 large firm apple 1 teaspoon butter 1 cup rice 1 cup water 3 inch cinnamon stick 4 cups milk 3 tablespoons sugar 1/3 cup raisins 1 teaspoon vanilla Equipment Vegetable peeler apple corer or knife 3 quart saucepan with cover measuring cups and spoons wooden spoon for stirring

Swedish Rice Porridge

Directions

1. Peel the apple. Tip: Use a vegetable peeler. Always peel away from your body.
2. Cut out the core and chop the rest of the apple into pieces. Set it aside. Tip: You can use a special tool for coring and slicing apples. If you don't have one, use a small nice. Don't forget a cutting board when you chop.
3. Coat the bottom of the saucepan with butter. Tip: Use your fingers to rub butter over the bottom of the pan. It will keep the rice from sticking as it cooks – and make cleanup easier too.
4. Put the rice, water and cinnamon stick in the saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat. When the water begins to boil, lower the heat and cover the pan. Simmer the rice 10 to 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Tip: Large bubbles will rise to the top and burst when water boils. There will be only a few tiny bubbles when it simmers. The rice will cook better if you don't peek.
5. Pour the milk into the saucepan. Stir. Cook until the milk begins to simmer. Tip: If you add warm milk, your porridge will cook faster. You will see very tiny bubbles along the edges of the pan when the mixture begins to simmer.
6. When the milk begins to simmer, add the sugar, chopped apple, and raisins. Stir gently. Tip: Slip the apple and raisins into the pan so that the porridge doesn't splash.
7. Cover the pan and allow the porridge to simmer for about 45 minutes. As it cooks, it will thicken. Tip: You may peek at the cooking porridge and give it a stir once or twice.
8. Turn off the heat and take the pan from the stove. Remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the vanilla.
9. Pour the porridge into a pretty bowl. Serve it warm with cream or honey.