Ever since I was a wee sprout and read Louisa May Alcott’s classic, Little Women, I have wondered what “blancmange” was. In fact, I remember being riveted by everything the March sisters consumed in that book. See, I was already prepping for Tuesdays with Dorie!
Well, today, the mystery of blancmange, or blanc-manger, has been solved. And I am in LOVE. Basically, it is the French version of panna cotta, a cream and gelatin dessert that I adore. I mean, it has cream, right? And cream is the precursor to butter? What’s not to like?
I followed the recipe pretty much, using blueberries, low fat milk (ridiculous, I know, in light of the cream), halving the vanilla extract, and substituting a teaspoon of almond extract for it. I also used blueberries, and was able to fill two medium sized copper molds that belonged to my mother. This is not a “light” dessert it terms of calories, but it tastes like one. I really liked the addition of the almond extract, and the contrast of the blueberries with the cream. I thought the dessert was refreshing, sophisticated and – thank goodness – not too sweet!
Thanks to Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy for choosing the recipe, and answering the question of “what I blancmange?” You can find the recipe on her blog, or in Dorie’s book.
