Do you know what manna cream is, what ingredients are at its base and do you know the recipe for making it at home? Probably little known in the rest of Italy, manna is an all-Sicilian gem. A precious raw material of totally vegetable origin that we are sure will win you over. But let's find out more.
What is manna
Manna is a product obtained from the bark of ash trees, not too easy to find, which is used in confectionery for the preparation of some sweets including, precisely, cream. Slow Food Presidium , we are lucky enough to produce it exclusively nationally in Sicily on the Madonie mountains , between Cefalù, Castelbuono and Pollina. What does it taste like ? The substance has a very pleasant taste, so much so that it is used as a sweetener (in not too high doses).
What does manna cream taste like?
Given the particularity of the basic ingredient, curiosity about its flavor is widespread. What does manna cream taste like ? Some define its taste as halfway between licorice and brown sugar. Its perfume, then, is impossible to describe.
Manna cream, the recipe
The manna cream can be prepared at home following a simple recipe. This is just one of the possibilities: you can add the crumbled and melted manna cannolo to many compounds, to give life to always different creams and spoon desserts.
The ingredients of manna cream
- 350ml whole milk
- 150 ml of milk cream
- 30 g of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 50 g of corn starch
- 1 crumbled manna cannoli
Preparation of the cream
- Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and place it on the flame, then heat.
- Take half a glass of milk and let the manna melt, then add it back into the saucepan.
- In a thick-bottomed steel saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch and mix well.
- Gradually add the milk, continuing to mix to avoid the formation of lumps, then add the honey.
- Put on a low flame and let it thicken without ever ceasing to mix.
- Once the mixture thickens, turn off the flame and let it cool.
Sweets with manna cream
What to do with Sicilian manna ? There are many dessert recipes . In addition to being able to accompany leavened products such as pandoro, panettone and Easter dove, it can be used as a filling for muffins, biscuits or tarts. In Sicily , sweet bread with manna is excellent.
PS. If you don't want to make it at home, buy it ready-made. The Fiasconaro company makes a very good spreadable manna cream that you can find for sale on SicilyAddict (where you can also stock up on typical Sicilian products to receive comfortably and quickly at home). Always in the wind you can taste these nougats and these biscuits .
