Bienmesabe
Bienmesabe is a traditional Spanish almond cream dessert, particularly popular in the Canary Islands. This rich, sweet confection combines ground almonds with a delicate syrup and egg yolks, creating a smooth and indulgent treat. It's often served chilled, sometimes with a sprinkle of cinnamon or toasted almonds.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 3 hr 50 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 446 kcal
Allergen information: may contain eggs, nuts, and tree nuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
Ingredients
- 250 galmond, blanched, ground
- 200 gsugar
- 150 mlwater
- 6 pcsegg yolk
- 1 tsplemon zest
- 0.5 tspcinnamon, ground
optional garnish
- 1 pcscinnamon stick
- 15 galmond, toasted, sliced(optional)
Equipment
serving dishes · bowl · saucepan · whisk
The method
Step by step
- 1
Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan.
About 1 min
- 2
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
About 5 min
- 3
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the syrup for about 5 minutes, allowing it to thicken slightly.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Do not stir during simmering to prevent crystallization.
- 4
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool for 5-10 minutes.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: It's important for the syrup to cool slightly before adding to the egg yolks.
- 5
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks.
About 1 min
- 6
Slowly pour a small amount of the warm syrup into the whisked egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: This prevents the egg yolks from scrambling.
- 7
Gradually add the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the remaining syrup in the saucepan, whisking continuously.
About 2 min
- 8
Stir in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and ground cinnamon.
About 1 min
- 9
Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a creamy consistency, about 10-15 minutes.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 10
Remove from heat and pour the bienmesabe into individual serving dishes or a larger bowl.
About 1 min
- 11
Allow it to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
About 3 hr
Cook’s note: Chilling allows the flavors to meld and the dessert to set properly.
- 12
Before serving, garnish with an optional cinnamon stick or toasted sliced almonds.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 446.1kcal
- Protein
- 12.1g
- Carbs
- 43.8g
- Fat
- 26.9g
- Fibre
- 5.7g
- Sugar
- 35.2g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover bienmesabe covered in the refrigerator.
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