Portuguese Sweet Rice, known as Arroz Doce or "Papas", is a traditional Azorean Portuguese dessert. If you asked anyone around here, My Avo’ (Grandmother) made hers the best.
She loved to make it for special events, birthdays, weddings, and of course the Festas. Particularly, St. John’s Festa in Hopeton. Just a small little country community Festa, the Hopeton Festa was a place of community and family for my Avo'. When they moved here from Ontario Canada in the late 70’s they built and grew their family dairy just across the street from the quaint little church and Festa grounds.
Every year at the annual Festa auction, my Avo’s sweet rice would bring in hundreds of dollars. This always brought her a sense of pride and you could see the joy in her expression.
On August 28, 2024 we unexpectedly lost my Avo'. Just this last June I went over to her house to help her make sweet rice for the Festa. She was teaching me her techniques, sharing her secrets, and reminding me that good things take time and patience.
The truth is, sweet rice is a simple dessert, using simple ingredients. There’s no real secret or special ingredients. What makes it great is the time and love you pour into making it.
I will forever cherish the time I had with her, and I’m thankful I recorded that day we made papas together. Her love was ever abounding. One of her love languages was acts of service, and up until just before she passed, she was always cooking and caring for those she loved.
Her sweet rice was one of her cornerstone recipes that I feel privileged to have experienced, and I think she’d love it if more people could experience it, which is why I’m sharing it with you today.
Remember, it's not so much the specific ingredients, but rather the love and effort you put into it that make it great.
Portuguese Sweet Rice is a creamy, sweet, pudding-like-consistency type dessert. It's by no means "healthy" as there's large amounts of sugar, but when eaten in small servings, is perfectly acceptable and one of the most delicious comfort food style desserts you'll ever have, in my humble opinion.
I hope you enjoy <3
Avo’s Famous Portuguese Sweet Rice
Cooking time: 1.5 to 2 hours
Makes many servings. Adjust measurements if you want to make less. This amount will make enough for a large group or party.
Ingredients:
1 gallon milk (she always used fresh raw milk which is best, but whole milk from the store would work too)
1lb Sweet Cream Butter (room temperature or cold)
A good palm full of Salt
2lb bag Enriched Medium Grain Calrose Rice
4.5 cups Sugar
Cinnamon to create a lattice design on top before serving
(Note: Some people add eggs, lemon, and/or vanilla to their recipes. My Avo did not, and while those versions are good, I think that's partly what set hers apart from others.)
Watch this Reel on Instagram for more information and a visual reference.
Steps:
Pour the entire gallon of milk into a large 8 quart pot over medium to low heat.
Take your rice and put it in a bowl with water to soak while your milk starts to warm.
Add in 4 sticks (1lb) of butter and a good palm full of salt and stir, making sure to lightly coat the bottom of the pan with the butter as you stir.
Heat on low, stirring often, until the butter is completely melted.
Drain the water from your rice and add the rice to the simmering milk. Stir often to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
Once the rice is soft and cooked (no longer has any crunch) add in your 4.5 cups of sugar.
Stir continually until it reaches a pudding-like consistency and you can stand the spoon in the middle without falling.
While it's still hot, spoon it into the serving dish/dishes where it will cool and set up.
Take some cinnamon between your thumb and pointer finger and lightly sprinkle it into a lattice pattern on top.
Papas can be eaten warm, cold, or at room temperature. It's great with a warm cup of coffee or tea. I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator, where it can last for up to a week.
See progress photos below with time stamps.
The specific rice she used and said always worked best.
"Enriched Medium Grain Calrose Rice" from Sunny Select
Timestamp: 4:52pm
Add this to a bowl of water to soak until the milk mixture is ready.
Timestamp: 4:51pm
Pour the gallon of milk into a large 8 quart pot.
Timestamp: 4:57pm
Add in the butter and salt. This is a visual of what her "palm full of salt" looks like.
Timestamp: 4:58pm
Heat on low, stirring often, until the butter is completely melted.
Timestamp: 5:05pm
Drain the water from the bowl of rice before adding it to the milk.
Timestamp: 5:06pm
Add the rice to the simmering milk. Stir often to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.
Timestamp: 5:25pm
Rice is beginning to swell, but the mixture is still mostly liquid.
Timestamp: 5:50pm
The rice is finally fully cooked and soft without any crunchy pieces.
Timestamp: 5:51pm
Add the sugar all at once. Stir continually until it reaches a pudding-like consistency and you can stand the spoon in the middle without it falling.
The consistency will get slightly more liquid again after adding the sugar so don't be alarmed. It just takes time and patience to cook up to the proper thickness.
Timestamp: 6:20pm
When you can stand your spoon in the center of the pot, you know that it has reached the perfect consistency and you can remove it from heat.
Timestamp: 6:21
While it's still hot, spoon it into the serving dish/dishes where it will cool and set up.
This batch filled about 5 small platters.
Timestamp: 6:25
Take some cinnamon between your thumb and pointer finger and lightly sprinkle it into a lattice pattern on top.
To create the lattice pattern, make one set of diagonal rows, then another set crossing the opposite way, making a series of diamonds.
Now, enjoy!!
I truly hope you try this recipe and enjoy it just as much as we all have.
Recipe card she gifted me with approximate measurements for my bridal shower back in 2018.
Much love, from Nickie & Avo <3
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