Biancomangiare: Sicilian almond milk pudding
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Biancomangiare (Sicilian almond milk pudding)
Silky, snow-white and delicately scented with vanilla and lemon, biancomangiare (literally “white food”) has Arab roots and centuries of history in Sicily, Sardinia and the Aosta Valley. It’s usually made with cow’s milk, but around Modica in Sicily they use almond milk, which makes it naturally dairy-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooling and chilling: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 liter (4 cups) almond milk or cow’s milk
- 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
- 125 g (1 cup) cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 large strip of lemon zest
- Sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted (or chopped pistachios), to garnish
- Dried rose petals or edible flowers, to garnish
Instructions
- In a saucepan, dissolve the starch in a little of the milk, mixing well so there are no lumps.
- Add the rest of the milk, the sugar, the vanilla bean and the lemon zest.
- Over very low heat, bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly as the mixture thickens to the consistency of custard. Remove the vanilla bean and lemon zest.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool, whisking now and then to stop a skin from forming. If needed, smooth it with an immersion blender.
- Once it has reached room temperature, pour it into small glass serving dishes and refrigerate.
- Take it out of the fridge 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with the toasted almonds (or pistachios) and rose petals.
