Almond Blancmange With Caramel Glaze And Sage Sherbet Recipes

BLANCMANGES WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil six 1/2-cup ramekins.
• Spread almonds in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven until pale golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Cool almonds completely.
• In a food processor process almonds with milk 2 minutes, or until mixture is very thick but not completely smooth.
• Rinse a thin kitchen towel in cold water and wring out as much water as possible. Spread towel in a large sieve set over a bowl or large glass measure and pour almond mixture into towel. Wrap towel around mixture and squeeze almond milk (about 1 cup) from towel into bowl or measure, discarding almonds. Stir in almond extract and a pinch salt.
• In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand 1 minute.
• In a small saucepan combine almond milk and sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin mixture and cook, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved. Transfer almond mixture to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring constantly, just until the consistency of raw egg white. Remove bowl from ice water.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until it holds stiff peaks and whisk about one fourth into almond mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly and spoon mixture into ramekins. Chill blancmanges, covered loosely with plastic wrap, until set, at least 2 hours and up to 24.
• In a blender or food processor purée raspberries with syrup and force through a fine sieve into a bowl. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Fill a small bowl with very hot or boiling water and dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into water 10 seconds. Unmold each blancmange onto a dessert plate and serve with sauce.

BLANCMANGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; bake 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Heat 4 cups whole milk, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan over medium until hot but not bubbling. Stir in almonds. Transfer to a liquid-measuring cup and let steep, covered, in refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days. (The longer the mixture steeps, the more flavor the blancmange will have.)
• Fill a 4- to 4 1/2-cup or two 2- to 2 1/2-cup molds with ice water. Rinse a large piece of heavy-duty cheesecloth (if thin, use a double layer) in hot water; wring as dry as possible. Place a sieve over a bowl, line sieve with prepared cheesecloth, and pour in almond mixture. Let almond milk drip through 30 minutes, then carefully gather up ends of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Almond milk should be smooth; if any pieces of almond pass through, strain through a very fine sieve. Discard cinnamon sticks. Pour almond milk into a large liquid-measuring cup (you should have at least 3 cups) and add enough of the remaining 1 cup whole milk to make 4 cups liquid.
• In a medium saucepan, combine cream and 1 cup almond milk. Sprinkle gelatin over top; let stand until softened, 5 minutes. Heat almond-milk mixture over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir gelatin mixture into remaining almond milk in measuring cup. Remove ice water from mold but do not dry mold (this will make the blancmange easier to unmold later). Strain almond-milk mixture through a sieve into mold to fill. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours or overnight.
• To unmold, quickly dip mold into a hot-water bath to loosen pudding from mold, or use a hot wet towel that has been wrung out. Place a serving platter over mold and quickly invert. Jiggle to loosen; remove mold. Serve with currants, if desired.

BLANC MANGE (ENGLISH STYLE)

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of the milk into a saucepan. Add lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk remaining milk into the cornstarch mixture. When the milk in the pan begins to simmer, pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan in a thin steady stream. Whisk vigorously and increase heat just a bit to bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Allow the mixture to boil for about 20 seconds while continuing to whisk, then remove from heat. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the pinch of cinnamon and, if using, the vanilla.
• Pour into a dish or mold, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Garnish with shaved chocolate just before serving.

ALMOND BLANCMANGE WITH CARAMEL GLAZE AND SAGE SHERBET

Steps:

• Make blancmange:
• Soak almonds in 3 cups milk, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours. Blend almond mixture in 2 batches in a blender until smooth, about 3 minutes per batch.
• Rinse kitchen towel under cold water and wring out as much water as possible. Line a large sieve with towel, then set sieve over a bowl or 4-cup glass measure and pour half of almond mixture into towel. Wrap towel up and around mixture and, working over sieve, squeeze almond milk from towel into bowl, discarding ground nuts once all of liquid is extracted. Repeat procedure with remaining almond mixture until you have about 2 1/4 cups almond milk.
• With a vegetable peeler remove zest from orange and lemon. Bring zests, sugar, and remaining cup milk to a simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over cream in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour warm zest mixture through a sieve into gelatin mixture, discarding zest, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in almond milk.
• Divide almond mixture among soup plates (about 1/2 cup each; they will not be full), stirring before ladling so gelatin is evenly distributed. Chill, loosely covered once cold, until set, about 4 hours.
• Make sherbet:
• Bring water, sugar, corn syrup, dry milk, and sage leaves to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour warm sage mixture through a sieve into gelatin mixture, discarding sage leaves, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until cold, about 10 minutes.
• Freeze sherbet in ice cream maker (it will initially double in volume and then shrink as it freezes), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden slightly, at least 1 hour.
• Make caramel:
• Stir together Amaretto, cream, and 1/3 cup water in a 2-cup measure and set aside.
• Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then wash down any crystals from side of skillet with a pastry brush dipped in water. Boil syrup, without stirring, until it becomes a deep golden caramel (swirl skillet if necessary to help syrup caramelize evenly), about 5 minutes. Turn heat off and immediately add Amaretto mixture (mixture will bubble up and steam), then cook over moderate heat, stirring, until any solid caramel is dissolved and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle gelatin over remaining water in a medium metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Add hot caramel mixture and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Put bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let stand, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until just cool, about 5 minutes.
• Gently spoon about 3 tablespoons Amaretto caramel glaze evenly over each gelled blancmange, then chill desserts, uncovered, until glaze is set, at least 3 hours.
• Serve desserts with a scoop of sage sherbet and a wafer.