Blancmange is a sweet pudding with a mild flavor that has been made in Europe for centuries. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is believed to have been introduced to Europe by the Arabs. The original blancmange was a thick stew with chicken stock, sweeteners, almonds, ground beef, rosewater, and rice flour. It later became the snowy white dessert pudding most consumers are familiar with today. The name comes from the French words for “white” and “to eat” or “food.” To make a variation on the 17th-century blancmange, toast two cups of almonds, mix with milk and sugar, add almond extract and gelatin, whip up cream, and pour into molds to set in the refrigerator.
Blancmange is a type of sweet pudding that has been made in Europe for centuries. The pot is also known as a “form,” a reference to the fact that it’s usually set in elaborate molds. The flavor of traditional blancmange is mild and the dish is popularly dressed with sauces or fresh fruit. The history of blancmange is long and quite ancient, and the true origins of the dish are shrouded in mystery. Monty Python fans may be familiar with blancmange in the form of alien sentient beings that invade planet Earth during “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”.
The origins of blancmange are believed to be found in the Arab introduction of almonds to Europe, as the dish traditionally contains almonds. As early as the 1200s, recipes for blancmange were being prepared in Germany. The original blancmange was actually a thick, neutral-flavored stew with chicken stock, sweeteners, almonds, ground beef, rosewater, and rice flour as a thickener. At some point during the 1600s, blancmange became the snowy white dessert pudding most consumers are familiar with today. Both foods have traditionally been considered good for the disabled, as they are easy to digest, delicately flavored, and nutritious.
The name of the food is taken from the French white for “white” and manger for “to eat” or “food”. The ‘white plate’, as it was called, was especially popular with the upper classes of England. Some cooks have added dyes for particularly festive occasions, and modern blancmange is sometimes colored as well. Early on, blancmange would have been largely white, due to the ingredients used, and may have been heavily spiced on occasion, as access to spices was a status symbol.
To make a variation on the 17th-century blancmange, start by toasting two cups of almonds. While the almonds toast, he gently heats two cups of half-and-half and mixes the milk with a quarter cup of sugar until the sugar dissolves. He grinds the almonds with halves and halves until the mixture is smooth, and forces it through a small fine-grain sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl. You’ll end up with about a cup and a half of liquid, to which you should add four drops of almond extract or essence.
Next, dissolve three teaspoons of gelatin in a third cup of hot water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Stir the gelatin into the almond mixture and stir the bowl on an ice bath so the blancmange begins to set. Next, whip up a cup of cream and fold it into the blancmange. Pour the pudding into molds to place in the refrigerator for several hours and turn into plates to serve, garnished with fruit or sauce of your choice.
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