Biancomangiare with orange sponge and toasted cinnamon almonds
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Prep -----min Cook -----min
You can’t get more simple than Biancomangiare, a milky dessert quite often made with almond milk sugar and set with corn flour. This is a little more extravagant infused with orange and cinnamon and a fool proof addition of gelatin will ensure that you have the perfect consistency. You will find this on many dessert menus and also in many of the pasticceria in Sicily. No fancy technique, no expensive ingredients just a memory of childhood when you taste the first mouthful. My mum was always making blancmange for us as a quick dessert and as I child I loved it. Even now I still order it in restaurants just to relive the sensation. I use a mixture of almond milk and Orzata, a type of almond milk cordial. If you prefer you can just use almond and cow’s milk or adjust the milk quantities to suit your dietary requirements.
Ingredients
- 750ml almond milk available from health shops or supermarkets
- Zest of 1 orange
- 5 drops of vanilla
- 20g of powdered gelatin for vegans use recommended quantity of agar agar
- 250ml Orzata almond milk or similar, this is available at most European delicatessens or good fruit shops
- 100g sponge cake
- 1 tblsp marmalade
For the toasted cinnamon almonds
- 1 cup of flaked almonds
- 2 tblsp egg white
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
To serve
- 2 punnets of raspberries
- 1 tblsp orange marmalade mixed with 2 tblsp hot water
- Icing sugar
Recipe Steps
Warm the almond milk in a saucepan over a moderate heat with the orange zest and the vanilla until almost to the boil. Place the gelatin into a small bowl and whisk as you pour in half of the hot almond milk.
Pour the gelatin mix back into the pot and whisk well until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
Pour in the Orzata almond milk and stir to combine. Half fill lightly oiled ramekins and allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Slice the sponge into rounds and brush with the marmalade, place these into the molds and then fill with the remainder of the almond milk mixture. Refrigerate for a further 2 hours or until set.
Mix the marmalade and water together and toss with the raspberries, spoon these over the unmolded Biancomangiare and serve topped with some of the almonds.
Preheat your oven to 130c
For the almonds, whisk the egg white and the vanilla together until foamy. Pour the egg whites onto the almonds and stir to cover. Combine the sugars and cinnamon in a separate bowl and then pour this over the almonds and coat well.
Pour the almonds in one layer onto a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 1 hour turning them twice after 20 minute intervals. Allow them to cool before storing them. These will keep for weeks in an air tight container.