Continuing on with our Michoacán menu, the dessert was a wildberry atole ‘custard’ with home-made almond ice cream.
Atoles are usually hot drinks made of masa (corn flour), with the addition of unrefined cane sugar, cinnamon-infused water, as well as optional vanilla, chocolate or fruits. If the mixture is boiled for a long time with lots of sugar, it will set at room temperature to form a ‘custard’. The ‘custard’ we made used frozen blackberries.
The state of Michoacán is very fond of exotic-flavoured ice creams and sorbets, and the Almond Ice Cream we made is a good example. In Spanish it is called : ‘pasta de nieve’ that translates to ‘almond paste of snow’.
Wildberry Atole with Almond Ice Cream
Home-made Almond Ice Cream – ‘Pasta de nieve’
mixing the ingredients for the Almond Ice Cream
the Almond Ice Cream mix being poured in a pan in advance of freezing it.
- After an hour in the freezer, four cups of whipped cream is folded into the frosty mixture and the pan is returned to the freezer.
- From this point on check every 15 minutes or so for crystals forming and break them up using a fork. Continue to do this until the ice cream is smooth and creamy.
The Wildberry Atole Custard
- 500 gr corn flour is mixed with water to form a dough; the masa dough is then mixed with more water until runny.
the masa dough is mixed with more water to form a runny mix
- Once the masa is dissolved strain into a pot and bring to a simmer stirring constantly.
- 750 gr of berries are mixed with a half litre of water; then strained into the simmering atole.
straining the berries into the simmering ‘atole‘ mixture of masa and water
- Whisk the two together, then add 750 gr of sugar and continue stirring until the bottom of the pot is visible.
- Pour the mixture into dessert cups and let set at room temperature.
- Garnish with whole berries and a sprinkle of icing sugar (or in this case an almond and Almond Ice Cream)