Biancomangiare - Sicilian summer dessert
- Macchè
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 20
This is for the ones who evolve while keeping their essence.
The Biancomangiare is a naturally plant-based and gluten free Italian dessert. It is perfect for the summer (no baking needed) and with just 5 ingredients. This Sicilian dessert traveled continents, changed recipe a hundred times, and now you can also make it!
Why did we serve Biancomangiare with boiled chicken?
Biancomangiare is older than pizza, pasta and most Italians iconic dishes. The name keeps it simple: everything in this dish needs to be white ("bianco"). What is white and pairs well with lemon, vanilla and almond milk?
Obviously, chicken and fish! Back in the medieval age, savory and sweet were usually blended in the same dish. They would care more about the color and the availability of the ingredients, than their pairing in terms of taste. This is how, probably the French or the Arabs, brought this dessert to Italy.
Italians then turned the Biancomangiare in the simple, elegant dessert we are about to make.
INGREDIENTS:
This recipe makes 4 portions of Biancomangiare. This recipe is fully vegan and gluten free.
Want to explore other Italian recipes? Check our fresh pasta workshops!
INGREDIENTS:
500 ml almond milk
80 gr sugar (less if you like things less sweet)
50 gr cornstarch (maizena)
Half a lemon (zest only, in big strips)
1 vanilla bean (or a bag of vanillin)
For the topping:
Crunchy roasted nuts, to taste
Berries jam, to taste
+ Macchè tip
• Cocoa powder (instead of lemon zest)
THE RECIPE:
Boil the milk
Pour 350 ml of the milk into a heavy-bottomed pot with the sugar, vanilla bean (or vanillin), and lemon zest (don't use the white part). Place over low heat and bring to a boil while slowly stirring.
Dissolve the cornstarch
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 150 ml cold milk until it's fully dissolved. Once the milk boils, pour in the cornstarch mixture and start stirring.
Thicken it up
Fish out the vanilla bean and lemon zest. Cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour and chill
When the mixture looks like a thick béchamel, turn off the heat. Divide it into 4 small molds (or small glasses), let them cool at room temperature, then put them in the fridge for a few hours.
Unmold
Once set, flip the molds onto a plate and gently ease the puddings out.
Decorate and serve
Top each one with nuts and jam. Serve right away. You can keep them covered in the fridge for 1 week.
MACCHÈ TIPS:
As a chocolate lover myself, I recommend you to add a chocolaty touch to your plant-based Sicilian dessert.
From the beginning, split up the the ingredients in two. With one part will make the lemony Biancomangiare, while with the other you can make the chocolate one.
For the chocolate version, use exactly the same ingredients but switch the lemon zest for the cocoa powder.
At step 4, layer the dessert using both creams.
When unmolding, you will have a two colors dessert!
