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Blancmange

Puddings and Sweet Deserts

Opaque, sweet, white set-jelly desert, most traditionally flavoured with almonds but now often prepared with other fruit flavourings and coloured pale pink.

In its earliest incarnations, mentioned as far back as Langland 1390, blancmange was a dish made with fish or chicken. By the 18th century it had settled on almonds as a flavouring, and by Francatelli 1852 was set with isinglass, or gelatine. Auguste Escoffier could say in 1907 that “Blanc-manger is very rarely made nowadays, which is to be regretted because when well made it can be one of the best sweets served.”


Original Receipt in the 15th Century ‘Austin Manuscripts’ (Austin 1440)

Blamanger. Take faire Almondes, and blanche them, and grind them wit sugour water into faire milk; and take ryse, and set. And whan they bet wel y-sodde, take them up, and caste them to the almondes milk, and let them boil together til thei be thikk; And then take the brawne of a Capon, and tese it small, And caste thereto; and then take Sugur and salt, and caste thereto, and serve it fort in maner of mortrewes.




Original Receipt in ‘The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined‘ By John Mollard (Mollard 1802)

BLANC MANGE.
To a quart of new milk add an ounce of pickled isinglass, a small stick of cinnamon, a piece of lemon peel, a few coriander seeds washed, six bitter almonds blanched and pounded, or a laurel leaf. Put it over a fire, and when it boils simmer it till the isinglass is dissolved, and strain it through a tamis sieve into a bason. Let it stand ten minutes, skim it, pour it gently into another bason free from sediment, and when it begins to congeal stir it well and fill the shapes,



See: Blank Maunger


Modern Blamange (sic) or Cake Mould
from Acton 1845








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