Biancomangiare (Sicilian almond-milk pudding)
Chilled almond-milk pudding set with cornflour, with lemon and cinnamon
In Sicily, and above all around Modica and Avola where the almonds grow, biancomangiare is the cool, white pudding of high summer, turned out of fluted moulds after Sunday lunch or eaten at the bar from a little glass. The old Sicilian kind is made with almond milk rather than cow's milk and thickened with starch, which makes it dairy-free and vegan. It is smooth and soft, faintly marzipan-scented, brightened with a strip of lemon peel and warmed with cinnamon. Serve it cold, topped with chopped pistachios, a dusting of cinnamon or a few jasmine flowers, as they do in Palermo. No egg has ever belonged in it, and nothing else is needed to set it: cornflour boiled in the almond milk sets it as it cools, the same way it sets a custard without yolks. Chef's tip: once it thickens, keep it bubbling for 2 more minutes; the common mistake is pulling it off too soon, which leaves a raw starch taste and a pudding that won't turn out cleanly.
- Total time
- 205 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milkdivided
- 3 ⅛ oz cornflour
- 3 ⅞ oz sugar
- 2 strips lemon peelpared, no white pith
To serve
- 1 oz pistachios (optional)chopped
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ⅛ oz cornflour with 200 ml of the ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk in a bowl until completely smooth.
Step 2: Put the remaining 3 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk in a heavy pan with 3 ⅞ oz sugar, 2 strips lemon peel and 1 cinnamon stick. Warm over a medium heat until steaming, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then leave to infuse off the heat for 10 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Lift out the peel and cinnamon. Whisk in the cornflour mixture and return the pan to a medium-low heat.
Step 4: Stir constantly for 6–8 minutes until it thickens, then keep it bubbling gently for 2 minutes more, until thick, glossy and it heavily coats the back of a spoon.
9 minStep 5: Rinse 6 small moulds or glasses with cold water and leave them wet. Pour in the pudding and tap to level.
Step 6: Cool for 20 minutes, then chill for at least 3 hours, until set firm with only a slight wobble.
180 minStep 7: Run a thin knife around each mould and turn out onto plates. Scatter with 1 oz pistachios and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does biancomangiare (Sicilian almond-milk pudding) take?
- About 205 minutes in total: 190 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unsweetened almond milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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