Sicilian Blancmange with Cookies: The Recipe for the Traditional “Poor Man’s Tiramisu”
The Blancmange with cookies in a baking dish is a spoon dessert that smells of home and ancient traditions. Often nicknamed by our grandparents as the “poor man’s tiramisu”, this Sicilian delicacy is actually a delicious variant of the classic milk cream, perfect for those who love simple yet enveloping flavors.
In Sicily, Blancmange is a true pillar of homemade pastry. The texture is soft, similar to a panna cotta, but while still warm, you can distribute it easily as it will solidify only later, leaving it in the fridge for a few hours. Although the traditional version includes only the cream served with a sprinkle of cinnamon, the variant with layered dry cookies is the most loved during festivities, especially at Carnival. It presents itself as a real brick cake, where the softness of the cream meets the texture of the cookies soaked in lightly alcoholic and aromatic coffee, which can naturally be omitted easily to suit any need and taste.
The Traditional Carnival Dessert
Why prepare it now? Blancmange with cookies is one of the typical Sicilian Carnival recipes. For the occasion, the dessert dresses up festively: the surface is decorated with a cascade of colorful sugar sprinkles, making it cheerful and inviting for both adults and children.
Why try this recipe
Despite being truly scenic, blancmange is a quite economical dessert that is easy to make with few ingredients that everyone has in their pantry, respecting the philosophy of recovering from poor cuisine. It’s also very versatile because you can personalize it with orange peel, chocolate chips, or pistachio crumbs.
In short, preparing this dessert is an act of love towards your land: a bite of Sicily that conquers at the first taste.
Other recipes to prepare during the Carnival period that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Portions: 30×18 mold
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
Ingredients
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- 3 1/3 cups milk
- 10 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 ml coffee
- 2 oz milk
- 1 tbsp coffee liqueur (optional)
- 10 oz dry cookies
- 1/4 cup colored sprinkles (or decorative sprinkles)
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Hand Whisk
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Coffee Maker
- 1 Spatula
Steps
The first thing to do to make the blancmange with cookies is to start with the soaking liquid. Begin by preparing a few cups of espresso coffee so that it has time to cool down.
Transfer the cooled coffee into a large bowl, also add the coffee liqueur and the milk*. If you desire more sweetness, you can also add a level teaspoon of sugar, but I assure you it is not necessary since the liqueur is already sweetened.
Stir the ingredients well especially if you added the sugar and set aside.
Pour 1/3 of the total milk, about 1 1/4 cups, into a bowl, add the cornstarch and mix with a hand whisk.
Completely dissolve it. You should get a smooth and lump-free mixture. It will take just a few seconds.
Pour the remaining milk into a saucepan and place it over the heat along with the sugar at a low flame. For this recipe, granulated sugar is preferred but cane sugar will also work fine, it will only slightly color the cream.
Flavor with the vanilla extract** and let it warm up for a couple of minutes.
Finally, incorporate the milk and starch mixture prepared earlier and let it cook at a low flame, stirring constantly with the whisk. Gradually, you will notice that the mixture will take on a thicker consistency. The blancmange will be ready when the first bubbles start to form. At that point, immediately turn off the heat without letting it simmer further to prevent it from thickening too much.
You are ready to assemble the dessert: soak the dry cookies in the espresso coffee for a few seconds without allowing them to soften too much. In total, around 250-280g will be needed, but this will depend greatly on the type of dish you use, the type of cookie you choose, and the number of layers you create.
In a baking dish, spread a light layer of the prepared cream at the base and place a first layer of cookies dipped in coffee.
Now add some more milk cream to completely cover the cookies. Alternate layers of cookies and layers of still warm cream for a total of three times.
Complete the last layer with the remaining cream, level it with a spatula, and let it cool before placing it in the fridge to cool completely for 1 hour. To speed up the cooling before resting in the fridge, the dish can be placed inside a larger dish containing cold water and changed several times as the cream gives off its heat.
After the cooling time, all you have to do is decorate the surface with colored sprinkles or decorative sprinkles, which will not only melt with the heat of the cream but will also give a festive look to your dessert. Place the dessert back in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours before serving. When well set, it will also be easier to cut.
And voilà… the blancmange with baked cookies is ready to be enjoyed
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉The blancmange with cookies in a baking dish can be kept for 3-4 days maximum in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. Alternatively, it can also be frozen in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tips, notes, variations and suggestions
🟣*For a lighter version, in the coffee soaking liquid you can replace the milk with plain water.
🟣** To enrich the flavor and aroma of the blancmange as an alternative to vanilla, which gives a refined touch, you can opt for the classic version with unwaxed lemon zest and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
🟣For a lactose-intolerant version, opt for a plant-based drink instead of cow’s milk, such as almond milk. The version with Sicilian almond milk is one of the most prestigious and ancient. In this case, you can slightly reduce the amount of sugar (40g), as almond milk is already naturally sweet.
🟣How to garnish: the blancmange with cookies can be decorated as tradition dictates with colorful sugar sprinkles, or alternatively, try the delicious version with dark chocolate shavings or pistachio or other nut crumbles.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What cookies to use for Blancmange in a dish?
For a perfect result, “Petit” type dry cookies are recommended. Thanks to their consistency, they absorb the cream without breaking excessively, maintaining the “brick” structure.
2. Can I make Blancmange gluten-free?
Certainly. The original Blancmange is already naturally gluten-free because it thickens with cornstarch (maizena). For the dish version, you just need to use certified gluten-free cookies.
