Blanc-Manger à la Française (French Almond Blancmange)

Ingredients

• 500 grammes sweet almonds
• 4 or 5 bitter almonds
• 8 decilitres water
• 200 grammes lump sugar
• 30 grammes gelatine
• Warm syrup
• Flavouring
• Oil

Instructions

1. Blanch 500 grammes of sweet almonds with 4 or 5 bitter almonds and disgorge them in fresh water until they are very white.
2. Pound them as finely as possible, adding 8 decilitres of water spoonful by spoonful.
3. Press the whole in a strong cloth, twisting hard, to draw off the almond milk — about 7 decilitres.
4. Dissolve 200 grammes of lump sugar in this almond milk.
5. Add 30 grammes of gelatine dissolved in warm syrup, pass through muslin and flavour at will.
6. Pour into an oiled mould with a central funnel, as for the Bavarois.
7. Set on ice and turn out in the same way.