1. Wash and dry the damson plums, pit them and cut into 4 or 6 slices each. Set aside. Add the water, sugar (or xylitol), vanilla paste, cinnamon, and the lemon peel to a small pot and bring to a boil. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, add the plums, reduce the heat and let cook until the plums are soft and the liquid has a nice red color. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and add to the pot, continue cooking the plums until the liquid in the pot starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and let cool down, remove the lemon peel. You can prepare the plum compote 1-2 days in advance and store it in the fridge.

 

2. Add the milk with the sugar, vanilla paste, and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil, then add the rice and let it simmer (without lid) over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. You should stir occasionally so nothing burns and the milk does not develop a skin on top of the rice. Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid or plate and let the rice soak for another 10 minutes or so. If the rice pudding gets too thick, add some milk and mix in. You can now serve the rice pudding lukewarm with the plum compote – for a hot summer day I recommend letting the rice pudding cool down completely and then add it to a serving glass layered with the compote. Cover, place in the fridge for at least 1 hour., then serve. You will get a not too sweet and refreshing dessert.