Almond Blancmange is a gelatin-set dessert made by evaporating whole milk with ground almonds and fresh cream. Garnish it with homemade praline, almonds or whipped cream, and serve it chilled. It is ideal for those who do not like egg-based desserts.
Origin:
Blancmange has a long and varied history, tracing its supposed roots to the Middle East. The Persian traditions use rice, milk, and chicken, while others use almond milk that comes from Moorish Spain. As early as the 12th century, the French were experimenting with blancmange using almond milk and/or ground almonds flavored with rosewater and garnished with white meat (chicken or capon). The idea was to use all-white ingredients while the fat from the meat gelatinized, allowing the blancmange to set. This, therefore, is the etymology of the term ‘blancmange’ which means ‘white dish’ which is derived from the French word white (blanc) and eat (manger).
It was somewhere around the 16th century that this millennia-old year savory dish began its transition to its current incarnation as a sweet dessert. The classic blancmange is a simple all-white affair consisting of cream, milk, sugar, and almond extract set with gelatin.
Difference between custard and panna cotta:
- Custard or Flan: While they may seem similar, custard is made of eggs which act as the thickener, and they can be baked or cooked.
- Panna Cotta: Panna cotta is uncooked and gelatin-set while most blancmange recipes also use cornstarch. This, therefore, results in the mixture being boiled so that the cornstarch can be cooked and thickened.
While the classic blancmange can be consumed as is, I often used it as a sweet accompaniment to a tart fruit and nut salad, mixing up the textural differences as well as providing a tart backdrop to this rather sweet dessert. My husband enjoys it with hot coffee, forming a kind of made-up affogato. Given the varying flavors that are currently available, the Almond Blancmange can be served with chocolate. The version of blancmange that is most memorable to me was one I had at Oxford, which used cinnamon, lemon peel, and vanilla, where the milk was boiled with lemon peel and the cinnamon sticks.
Few people would suspect that this desert has had such a rich and varied history. As I said earlier, it is one of those dishes that people either love or love to hate, but it is certainly one that cannot be trifled with!
How to make the Almond Blancmange:
1. Soak almonds in warm water for 30 minutes and blanche them.
2. Add a tablespoon of milk and grind to a smooth paste in a coffee grinder.
3. In a heavy-bottomed pot, boil milk with sugar until it is reduced by a third in volume. Add the ground almonds and turn off the heat and mix well.
4. Mix the gelatin with 2 tablespoons of warm water and add to the almond mixture when cool.
5. When the mixture cools down completely, add the fresh cream and almond essence. Strain the mixture and pour into wet molds covered with foil. Set in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours or overnight.
6. The following day, garnish the Almond Blancmange with homemade praline, almonds slivers or fresh cream and serve chilled.
1. Grind the almonds to a smooth texture so that it will act as a thickener. I did not use cornstarch in this recipe.
2. Evaporating or reducing the milk to two-thirds of its volume will result in a rich and creamy dessert.
3. Add fresh cream only after the mixture has cooled completely.
4. Mix warm water to the gelatin just before adding it to the milk mixture.
Storing:
Almond Blancmange can be refrigerated for 3-4 days but cannot be frozen.
Other milk dessert recipes to try:
Almond Blancmange
Equipment
- Stovetop, refrigerator
Ingredients
- 1 liter whole milk
- 1 cup fresh cream
- 2 tbsp gelatin
- 1 cup raw almond
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp almond essence
Instructions
- Soak almonds in warm water for 30 minutes and blanche them.
- Add a tablespoon of milk and grind to a smooth paste in a coffee grinder.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, boil milk with sugar until it is reduced by a third in volume. Add the ground almonds and turn off the heat and mix well.
- Mix the gelatin with 2 tablespoons of warm water and add to the almond mixture when cool.
- When the mixture cools down completely, add the fresh cream and almond essence. Strain the mixture and pour into wet molds covered with foil. Set in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours or overnight.
- The following day, garnish the dessert with homemade praline or fresh cream and serve chilled.
Notes
- Stir the milk occasionally to avoid burning it.
Nutrition
this recipe is really easy to make unlike so many other people
I love gelatin-based desserts! for anyone who’s vegan, agar agar is a great substitute!
Absolutely, I use agar for Southeast Asian desserts -thanks!
this is such a great easy gelatin recipe! thanks!
I made this for my kids, and they loved it so much! Thanks, Kanchan!