Menjarblanc (almond pudding)

Menjarblanc is a dessert from Catalunya that is incredibly simple, yet tastes rich and creamy. It's essentially an almond pudding, thickened to become almost set and infused with a hint of lemon and cinnamon. Comforting and delicious.

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Many years ago now I lived and worked in a small town called Reus in Catalunya. The town sometimes seemed overshadowed by nearby Tarragona which was on the coast and home to Roman remains. Reus, however, had a few claims to fame, such as being Gaudi's birthplace, and home to a number of vermouth producers. It's also the home of this lovely dessert, menjarblanc.

What does menjarblanc mean?

"Menjarblanc" is Catalan for "white pudding" which might not initially mean anything as in English, we tend to use the French name, blancmange. Blancmange is part of a group of desserts across Europe that are set desserts, typically thickened with gelatin or some kind of starch. Panna cotta (like my delicious mango panna cotta) is another common dessert within the theme.

This one, however, is a little different as the base is almonds. Some versions use some cream but the original Reus recipe is dairy-free. As a result, it became a popular dessert during Lent, since it doesn't use any of the ingredients that many typically avoid during that time.

In Spanish, the name would translate as "manjar blanco", but that can cover a range of dishes in the Spanish-speaking world, from a rice-based set pudding to dulce de leche. So you will probably more commonly see it by the Catalan name, menjarblanc or menjar blanc.

What are the origins of menjarblanc?

This dish is believed to date back to the Middle Ages, though specifics are a bit vague, as is probably not surprising. It is referred to in Llibre de Sent Soví, the oldest Catalan cookbook which dates back to 1324.

The book suggests the dish was maybe Arab and brought to the region during the Crusades. Certainly almonds and sugar are known to have been introduced to the region during the Arab rule of the area.

From all indications, it is a much older dish than the various dairy versions of blancmange/panna cotta. 

What kind of almonds should you use?

This dish is made with Marcona almonds which are the most common variety grown in the region. I remember well seeing fields of almond and hazelnut blossoms in early spring which were a truly beautiful sight. 

Marcona almonds are a bit rounder and fatter than the typical California almonds that you normally see in the US, and many other places. They are sweeter, a bit softer and sometimes referred to as "the queen of almonds". Personally, I never thought I liked almonds until I tried this variety. These won me over. 

The one challenge is they are a little harder to find outside of Spain. Sometimes if you do find them, they are ready cooked and salted. These are delicious as a snack alongside tapas dishes, but no good for this. Here, you need the raw almonds which I only found available online. However they will keep and you can also toast your own to snack on so I do find it worth ordering.

Steps to make menjarblanc

This dessert has a couple steps which have some pauses between them, but it's all easy to do. First, you blend up the almonds and water to give you a cloudy almond liquid. Leave the almonds to soak to get as much flavor out of them as possible.

Then, strain with a fine strainer to give you almond milk. Add sugar, a cinnamon stick and a strip of lemon peel. Be sure to use organic lemon, if possible, or if not available, at least scrub the skin to remove any wax etc.

Warm the mixture both to dissolve the sugar and infuse the mixture with the aromatics. Just warm over a medium-low heat as you want to give the mixture a bit of time to infuse and you don't want it to boil.

Separately, mix some cornstarch (corn flour in UK) with some reserved almond milk. The cornstarch is what helps the mixture to thicken, but you need to dissolve it in some liquid before adding it to the main mixture or it can form lumps.

Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is gently warm, add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir constantly to help avoid getting thick clumps. Then, continue to warm and stir until the mixture thickens up. This may take a bit of a few minutes as you want to continue to warm it over a medium-low heat, but be patient.

The mixture should become a bit custard-like in thickness, and should coat the back of of a spoon or spatula as you stir. It will thicken a little more as it cools, but only a little. Don't worry about getting an exact thickness - it will still be good if a little thinner than planned. 

Transfer the thickened mixture to serving dishes, straining to remove the lemon and cinnamon and any accidental lumps. Cover the top so that it doesn't spill or form a skin (though it shouldn't, really). Let it cool to lukewarm before then chilling further in the fridge. You typically serve this in small custard dishes or shallow terracotta dishes, as here.

Once chilled, dust the top with a little cinnamon and enjoy. It's great to make ahead and enjoy whenever you are ready to serve.

Menjarblanc is a very traditional, local Catalan dessert that is has a wonderfully smooth texture and delicate flavor. It tastes almost creamy like a custard or yogurt, but there's no dairy, and has light cinnamon and citrus aromatics. It's a lovely gently sweet almond pudding that is certainly popular in our house. Give it a try and hopefully the same will be true for you.

Try these other make ahead desserts:

• Strawberry mousse (easy, creamy and fruity)
• Coffee panna cotta (a lovely coffee-infused set custard)
• Panettone tiramisu (a tasty twist on the classic that uses up leftover panettone, too)
• Plus get more dessert recipes and Spanish recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

I have drawn on a few articles and recipes in creating this, including this Catalunya Diari article.

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