This is an unusual, old-fashioned dessert from Sicily. Sicily produces large amounts of almonds so you’ll find them featured in many of their dishes and desserts. Traditional versions of biancomangiare flavour the milk with orange blossom or rosewater, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a scattering of pistachios (influences from nearby northern Africa). I’ve kept this one on the simple side, serving it with a raspberry sauce. It suits those with a penchant for cold, wobbly, milky desserts - I hope you’re one of those people.
This delicate desert is by food stylist, private chef and author of cookbook Stagioni, Olivia Cavalli Williamson @olivia_cavalli
Serves: 4-6
A note on the almond milk. If you don’t have the time or will to make your own, you can use whole dairy milk instead of shop-bought almond milk which tends to be too watered down. Dairy milk works beautifully here, just measure out 700ml and proceed with the instruction below.
Ingredients:
For the almond milk:
- 320g blanched almonds
- 800ml water
For the biancomangiare:
- 45g cornstarch
- 90g caster sugar
- 2 tsp almond extract, or to taste
For the raspberry sauce:
- Approx. 500g raspberries
- 80g honey
- 1 lemon
Method:
To make the biancomagiare:
- Prepare the almond milk the night before (or earlier, it will keep in the fridge for a few days). Put the almonds in a bowl and cover with 800ml cold water. Cover, put in the fridge and let them soak overnight.
- The next day, transfer the almonds and all of the water to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth, squeezing and wringing it out to separate the pulp from the milk. You should be left with around 700ml milk – if you’re a little low, top it up with water. Don’t throw the pulp away! It’s good to use in cakes, stirred through yoghurt and porridge etc. and really nutritious.
- Put the almond milk in a pan over a low-medium heat and warm gently. Put the cornstarch in a bowl and add a ladle of the warm milk, whisking to incorporate into a smooth paste. Pour this mixture back into the pan then add the sugar, almond extract and a pinch of salt. Whisk continuously to avoid lumps for around 6-8 minutes, until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. I prefer to pour this into one mould but you can set it in individual ramekins or serving glasses if you prefer. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature before moving it to the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours, until set but with a nice wobble.
To make the raspberry sauce:
- Tip the raspberries into a pan and add the honey.
- Grate the zest of the lemon in and squeeze in the juice of half.
- Set over a medium heat and cook until the raspberries are breaking down (use the back of a wooden spoon to squash them to help them along).
- After 5 minutes or so the juices should start to thicken slightly and everything will look more saucy. You can leave it like this or pass it through a sieve to remove the seeds for a smooth sauce.
- Taste, adding a squeeze more lemon juice if desired.
- Set aside to cool.
To serve:
Unmould the biancomangiare by running it under warm water for a few seconds or running a knife around the edge (careful not to make too much of a mark) then flipping it upside down onto your serving platter and letting it slip out. Serve cold with the raspberry sauce spooned over each portion.
