This very old-fashioned dessert is made by soaking almonds, then grinding them, then squeezing all the precious milk you can from them. Combine the almond milk with sugar, a touch of almond extract, and
some gelatin and you’ve got a unique dessert. I serve this in a stemmed glass with a bit of homemade black or red currant jelly in the bottom for a spot of color and a little hit of tart-sweet right at the end.
Try this with fresh, seasonal fruit such as thinly sliced strawberries or raspberries alongside. Good, too, are ripe persimmons, cherries, or peaches.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin or 4 gelatin leaves
Scant 3 cups (about 700 ml) fresh Almond Milk
¾ cup (150 g) sugar ½ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons red or black currant jelly
Fresh mint or basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Note: Often the dessert version of blancmange has cream whipped into the almond gelatin. This version does not, and the flavor attests to its purity, which is what I love about it. If you feel the lack of cream,
go ahead and use some as a garnish. This recipe calls for homemade almond milk, but you can also
buy it at food co-ops or health food stores.
Directions:
1. If using gelatin leaves, place them in a small bowl and cover with cold water.
2. Place the almond milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over very low heat and stir until the milk is just hot. Do not boil the almond milk. Continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat. If using powdered gelatin, slowly sprinkle the powder into the sweetened almond milk as you whisk. If using gelatin leaves, squeeze the water from a leaf and whisk it slowly into the almond milk. Repeat with all the leaves of gelatin. Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the almond extract, and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Evenly divide the jelly among six wineglasses. Pour the almond mixture atop the jelly and refrigerate until the mixture gels, 4 to 6 hours. You can also prepare this dessert the night before you plan to serve it.
4. To serve, either top the blancmange with fruit, if using small berries, or serve the fruit alongside. If serving the fruit alongside, garnish each dessert with a mint or basil leaf.
