From Verona, small treasures of goodness: the Risini

05/13/2025

In addition to being famous worldwide as the city of Romeo and Juliet, Verona is also known for being the birthplace of one of the most beloved and consumed holiday sweets: Pandoro. However, if you wander through the narrow streets of the city center and pass by some pastry shops, you'll notice that all of them proudly display small golden tarts on their counters, looking both inviting and delicious. These are the famous Risini of Verona, single-serving treats with a shortcrust pastry shell that contains a special filling, a kind of rice cream.

Their delicate flavor will win you over. But you don't have to travel to Verona to taste them—you can easily prepare them at home by following the recipe of our Cesarina Michela, who lives just a few steps from the central Piazza delle Erbe.

“The Risino is a typical Veronese breakfast treat. As good rice producers, this crunchy-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside pastry helps us start the day with a smile, it's that good”.

Not much is known about the origins of the Risini. It’s no surprise that they are typical of Verona, since this is where the variety of rice used to make them—Vialone Nano—is grown, a rice that holds up well during cooking and absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients.

Risini di Verona

Delicious bite-sized treats with a soft heart

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time2h

Cooking time20m

€

CostMedium

Ingredients

Ingredients for 20 Risini
200 g shortcrust pastry
200 g custard cream
80 g butter
20 g egg yolk
250 ml milk
80 g sugar
100 g Vialone Nano rice
125 ml water
Vanilla bean
Grated lemon peel
A pinch of salt
For the shortcrust pastry:
450 g flour
300 g butter
200 g sugar
80 g egg yolks
50 g corn starch
Half a vanilla bean
Grated lemon peel
A pinch of salt
For the custard cream:
400 ml milk
100 g egg yolks
200 g sugar
20 g corn starch
20 g rice starch
Aromatics to taste

Method

For the shortcrust pastry:

Mix the softened butter (at a temperature of 15°/18°) with the sugar, then add the egg yolks and aromatics.
inally, incorporate the flour and corn starch, mixing only until the dough is smooth. Form a dough ball and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the custard cream:

Mix the sugar and egg yolks. Meanwhile, bring the milk with the aromatics to a boil. Add the starches to the egg and sugar mixture.
Once the milk boils, combine it with the egg mixture and cook until it reaches a temperature of 80°/85°C. Do not exceed this temperature and allow it to cool.

For the rice cream:

In a small pot, place the rice, water, milk, aromatics, butter, and sugar.
Cook the rice (the mixture should remain soft; if it thickens too much, add more milk).
Let it cool, then mix in the egg yolks and custard cream.

Assembly:

Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line the molds.
Fill the molds (don’t overfill, as they will rise during baking) with the rice cream.
Bake the Risini in the oven at 180-200°C for about 15-20 minutes.