Thickened with cornstarch, rather than the traditional gelatin, this elegant, creamy dessert will remind you of your favorite custard or panna cotta.
This elegant and very old-fashioned recipe for English Style Blanc Mange is cool, creamy dessert that’s delicious topped with fresh fruit, jam, chocolate or caramel.
I recently hosted a Little Women movie night and blanc mange seemed like something we had to have on the menu. If you’re a fan of the book, you’ll probably remember that Meg makes blanc mange for Laurie when he’s sick, because it’s said to be good for a sore throat.
Thankfully, my friend Kristi volunteered to make this delicious dessert. She served it in individual serving sized dishes, with her homemade raspberry freezer jam, and it was a huge hit at the party.
Blanc mange literally means “white dish” and although it’s though to have originated as a result of the Arab introduction of rice and almonds in early medieval Europe.
Many recipes call for gelatin, and are similar to the milk gelatins that are popular in Mexico and South America. I prefer this slightly smoother, creamier version that’s thickened with cornstarch.
This was absolutely delicious topped with raspberry jam, and I imagine other flavors of jam would work just as well.
My family enjoyed the leftovers topped with a simple mixture of fresh berries. Chocolate sauce is another great topping, and so is caramel. And blanc mange is perfectly tasty served plain too.
Flavored with a hint of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla, this cool, creamy dessert is so versatile, and it’s especially refreshing on a hot summer day.
It’s the perfect easy but elegant dessert for so many special occasions, like a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for two, or a Mother’s Day luncheon. Topped with fresh berries, it also makes festive Memorial Day or July 4th treat.
And just as it suggests in Little Women, blanc mange is wonderful for soothing a sore throat.
If you’re a fan of custard, flan or panna cotta, then you’re going to love this English Style Blanc Mange recipe. I hope you loved it as much as everyone at our Little Women movie night did!
Be sure to save this English Style Blanc Mange recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make English Style Blanc Mange
- Milk
- Cornstarch
- Sugar
- Cinnamon sticks
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla
Blanc Mange (English Style)
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk divided
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of the milk to a medium saucepan. Add cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk the remaining milk into the cornstarch mixture.
- When the milk in the pan begins to simmer, pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk vigorously and increase heat just a bit to bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Allow the mixture to boil for about about 30 seconds, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the pinch of cinnamon and the vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into individual dessert dishes. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until set. Serve with jam, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce or chocolate shavings.
Video
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Nutrition
Never miss a Let’s Dish Recipe:
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter
If you love this recipe, you might also like:
More Delicious No-Bake Dessert Recipes
Blackberry Lemonade Pie
This sweet and tangy swirled pie combines sweetened cream cheese, whipped cream, fresh lemon juice and blackberry preserves in a vanilla cookie crumb crust.
Frozen Raspberry Lemonade Pie
This sweet and tart no-bake dessert is made with vanilla ice cream and frozen lemonade concentrate. It's the perfect summer dessert!
Peach Carlota Dessert
Layers of shortbread cookies and creamy lime cheesecake filling are topped off with sliced peaches in this classic no-bake Mexican dessert.
No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Dessert
This no-bake cheesecake, topped with cherry pie filling is simple enough for a weeknight meal, but fancy enough for holidays and special occasions.
Oreo Cheesecake Stuffed Waffle Cones
Waffle cones are stuffed with a no-bake cookies and cream cheesecake filling in this fun-to-eat dessert that is sure to impress!
No Bake Black Forest Cheesecake
An easy no-bake cheesecake with a chocolate crumb crust, vanilla and chocolate cheesecake layers, topped with cherry pie filling.
No-Bake Cheesecake Mousse
This light, creamy no-bake cheesecake mousse comes together in about 20 minutes and is the perfect dessert for any occasion.
Blueberry Cheesecake Parfaits
This easy but elegant dessert features a homemade blueberry sauce layered with store bought pound cake and a sweet cream cheese filling. Perfect for any occasion!
Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from All Recipes
5 comments
Sharon Johnstone
Can you make this with cocoa to make chocolate blanc mange?
Barbara
How far in advance can this be made? A few days?
Judith D.
This recipe sounds delicious, and I want to try it. Just wondering about the “30” in #4 of the instructions. Thank you!
Danelle
Oops! That should say 30 seconds. Thanks for catching that!
Judith D.
Thank you! Looking forward to making it.