Sour Cherry Rice Pudding | Layered Oven-Baked Turkish Rice Pudding

Cook the sour cherries with 40 g sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. The fruit will first release its juices, then the liquid will cook off; the mixture is ready when no watery liquid runs to the bottom as you tilt the pan. Remove it from the heat and let it cool until warm.

Divide the warm sour cherries among oven-safe bowls in a layer about a finger-width thick. Slowly pour the rice pudding over the back of a spoon onto the cherries. Pouring directly onto them may splash the cherries upward and mix the layers. Leave about a finger-width of space at the top of each bowl.

Arrange the bowls in a deep baking pan and pour in hot water to a depth of about a finger-width. Set the oven to broil at 220°C / 430°F and cook for 15 minutes, until dark brown spots form on the surface. Stay nearby during the last 5 minutes.