Blancmange with cookies, a simple and delicious layered dessert made with dry cookies and a delightful eggless milk cream. A Sicilian recipe often made by grandmothers and loved by everyone for its delicate and genuine flavor. Traditionally, the dessert is decorated with colorful sugar sprinkles, but in this case, I preferred to add chopped dark chocolate and pistachio crumbles. Try the recipe, it’s easy, quick, and delicious!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 214.65 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 41.06 (g) of which sugars 20.98 (g)
- Proteins 4.19 (g)
- Fat 4.75 (g) of which saturated 1.92 (g)of which unsaturated 1.15 (g)
- Fibers 0.61 (g)
- Sodium 85.58 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry cookies
- 1 espresso cup coffee (or milk)
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- vanilla essence (to taste)
- lemon zest (to taste)
- dark chocolate (chopped, for decoration)
- pistachio crumbles (for decoration)
Tools
- Baking Dish
- Saucepan
- Coffee Maker
- Brush
- Hand Whisk
Preparation
Prepare an espresso cup of coffee and set it aside to cool.
Place the sugar and sifted cornstarch in a saucepan.
Gradually pour the milk and mix with a whisk, avoiding lumps.
Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a lemon zest as desired, then transfer to the stove and cook over low heat until the cream thickens.
It will take about 4-5 minutes from boiling (1).
Take a baking dish and lay out a layer of cookies. Lightly brush them with coffee using a silicone brush (2).
Cover with the hot milk cream (3), spreading it evenly. Proceed with another layer of coffee-soaked cookies and more cream, until all ingredients are used. I recommend not making more than 3-4 layers in total.
Allow the dessert to cool at room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours, so the cream can settle and thicken.
Shortly before serving, sprinkle the surface of the blancmange with chopped chocolate and pistachios.
The blancmange with cookies is ready, serve it cold, cut into squares.
Tips and Variations
You can soak the cookies with milk instead of coffee. Soak them lightly, as they will soften with the heat of the cream.
You can increase the amount of sugar to 160 g.
Assemble the layers with hot cream; if you let it cool, it will thicken too much and you won’t be able to spread it well.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How can I decorate the dessert alternatively?
You can decorate it in the traditional way, with colorful sprinkles, or with other nut crumbles (hazelnuts, almonds, etc.).
