Pistachio Blancmanges Recipes

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.

BLANCMANGE

Steps:

• Oil a 1.2-1.5 litre jelly mould, then set aside. Soak the gelatine in cold water following pack instructions. Mix together the cornflour with 6 tbsp of the milk and pour into a saucepan. Add the remaining milk, lemon peel and sugar, then bring to a boil. Lower to a medium-low heat and whisk continuously until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (around 8-10 mins).
• Squeeze any excess water out of the gelatine, then stir into the warm milk mixture to dissolve. Set aside to cool down for 5 mins. Discard the lemon peel, pour the mixture into the prepared jelly mould and put in the fridge to set overnight.
• When ready to serve, bring a kettle of water to the boil and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Dip the mould in the water, holding it there for 1 min. Turn the blancmange out onto a serving plate, and top with a handful of fresh berries, if you like.

BRANDIED POACHED PEACHES

Steps:

• Bring sugar, orange juice, water, zest, and vanilla bean to a boil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peaches, stem ends up. Cover pan and reduce heat, then poach peaches at a bare simmer 8 minutes. Turn peaches over and continue to poach, covered, until tender, 7 to 8 minutes more.
• Transfer peaches with a slotted spoon to a bowl or shallow dish to cool, reserving poaching liquid in saucepan. Lift out vanilla bean pod and scrape seeds into poaching liquid, then boil liquid until reduced to about 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a small bowl or glass measure and cool. Stir in brandy (to taste).
• Peel peaches and serve whole with syrup.

PISTACHIO BLANCMANGES

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F. Oil molds and line bottom of each with an oval of wax paper.
• Spread pistachios on a baking sheet and toast until nuts are fragrant but not colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Rub off and discard any skins.
• Blend nuts with milk in a blender or food processor 2 minutes. 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 large glass measure and pour pistachio mixture into towel. Wrap towel up and around mixture and, working over sieve, squeeze pistachio milk (about 1 cup) from towel into bowl, discarding ground pistachios. Stir in almond extract and a pinch of salt.
• Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a very small bowl or a cup and let stand 1 minute.
• Heat pistachio milk and sugar in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin mixture and cook, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved. Transfer to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring constantly, just until mixture is the consistency of raw egg white. Remove bowl from ice water.
• Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then whisk one fourth of cream into pistachio mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly and spoon mixture into molds. Chill blancmanges, covered with plastic wrap, until set, at least 6 hours.
• Working with 1 blancmange at a time, run tip of a thin knife between each custard and metal mold. Tilt mold sideways and tap side of mold against a work surface, turning it, to evenly break seal and loosen custard. Keeping mold tilted, invert a dessert plate over mold, then invert blancmange onto plate.