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Blancmange with Orange Sauce

Servings: 6
Comments:
Blancmange [bluh-MAHN , ZH]

A simple cooked pudding made of milk, cornstarch, sugar
and vanilla. Gelatin may be substituted for the cornstarch.
The hot mixture is poured into a mold, chilled, unmolded
and served with a sweet sauce or fresh fruit. The original
blancmange used pulverized almonds in lieu of
cornstarch.

Blancmange is a dish that was first devised during the Middle Ages, probably in England. In its most traditional form,
blancmange is a pudding or cream-like dessert made by soaking almonds in water before crushing them, squeezing out all
of the liquids and then molding the liquids together with sugar and gelatin. The dish, the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, is still
popular throughout Great Britain.



Ingredients:
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING THE ALMOND MILK:
1/2 pound unblanched almonds (about 2 cups)
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup water

OR:

1 1/8 cups Ready-Made store bought Almond Milk*

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING THE REMAINDER OF THE BLANCMANGE:
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
A few drops of almond extract and vanilla extract, to taste
ORANGE SAUCE, see recipe below


For Gelatine Mold:
Sweet almond oil or other flavored oil (such as lemon or orange oil), for oiling gelatine mold.
If you don't have almond oil or other sweet flavored oil, grease mold very lightly with butter.




Instructions:
TO MAKE ALMOND MILK:
Toast almonds in single layer on baking sheet at 375 degrees F until you
smell the wonderful aroma of the almonds, about 6 minutes. Finely grind
the almonds in a blender or food processor and gradually add the half and
half and 1/2 cup water to make a thick meal or paste.

Dampen the center of a very sturdy kitchen towel with cold water and wring
out well. Set a strainer over a mixing bowl and center wet part of towel in
the strainer. Pour in about 1 cup almond mixture. Twist towel closed over
top and squeeze into bowl as much almond milk as possible. Empty the
dry almond mixture from the towel and discard. Repeat process until all almond
paste or meal has been squeezed dry. You should have about 1 1/8 cups almond
milk.

OR USE:
1 1/8 CUPS READY-MADE STORE BOUGHT ALMOND MILK*,
INSTEAD OF MAKING HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK AS ABOVE.


CONTINUING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup water in small saucepan and let
stand 5 minutes.

Whip the heavy cream in a mixing bowl until it holds
slight shape when some is dropped from beater.

Warm gelatin mixture over low heat, stirring until completely dissolved, 3
to 5 minutes. Add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Stir gelatin-sugar mixture into almond milk and set over ice water bath.
Stir constantly with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides to keep
mixture from jelling right away, until mixture thickly coats spatula. Remove
from ice water bath, and immediately and quickly fold gelatine-almond milk
mixture into whipped cream. Add a few drops vanilla extract to taste.
Then add a few drops of almond extract to bring out the almond flavor in
the blancmange.

Oil, very lightly a one (1) quart gelatine mold with almond oil (or other sweet flavored oil).
Pour mixture into mold and chill until completely set, two to three hours.

To serve, loosen one edge gently with tip of flatware knife, set plate on
top of mold and invert. If dessert won't come loose, lift one corner of
mold away from plate and loosen edge with knife. The blancmange usually
will slide out easily when this is done. Slice blancmange into six 2-inch slices, spoon a little orange sauce on each dessert plate, and place each slice of blancmange over the orange sauce.

ORANGE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:
1 CUP ORANGE JUICE
6 TBLS. HONEY
1 1/2 TSP. CORNSTARCH
2 TABLESPOONS BOURBON-OPTIONAL

TO MAKE SAUCE:
Pour the orange juice and honey into a small saucepan, stir in cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and boil until thickened,
about 10 minutes, remove from heat and add bourbon (optional). Set aside.

WHEN READY TO SERVE:
Turn the mold out onto a serving plate. Pour the orange sauce around the edges of the Blancmange, or slice blancmange, spoon alittle sauce on individual dessert plates, and place a slice of blancmange over orange sauce.

TIP:
Sprinkle a few drops of water on your serving plate.
This way, when you turn the blancmange out onto serving plate.
It will be slippery, and it will be easy to center on plate..

*NOTE: Ready-made Almond Milk can be purchased at health food stores, or at
some supermarkets where the soy milk and rice milk are kept. Almond Milk does not
have to be refrigerated.

ALMOND MILK can also be purchased online at True Foods Market.
There web address is: http://truefoodsmarket.com. When you get to their website,
click on "Beverages" on the left hand side navigation bar. This will bring up the page
to purchase the Almond Milk.


Source: DianasDesserts.com
Date: June 13, 2002