Blancmange with Raspberries
Blancmange (from the French blanc-manger, “white dish”) is one of the oldest European desserts, known since the Middle Ages. The classic version is a delicate cold cream of milk and heavy cream, set with gelatin and scented with real vanilla from the pod. Here it’s enriched with egg yolks, so the texture comes closer to an English custard: dense yet quivering, melting in the mouth. Fresh raspberries add an acidic contrast to the sweet, creamy base.
The dessert is prized for its elegant simplicity: no dyes, just milk, cream, vanilla, and yolks. The white, silky mass on the plate looks festive and restrained at once.
Handy Tips
The gelatin can be swapped for agar-agar if you like, but then the mixture has to be brought to a boil, since agar sets specifically when heated. If you use metal molds rather than silicone, grease them with a thin layer of oil so the blancmange comes out easily. Cook the yolk cream over very low heat and stir constantly, otherwise the yolks will curdle and the dessert will turn grainy.
Let the blancmange set in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Add the raspberries and mint only before serving, so the berries don’t release their juice and soften the cream.
Part of French cuisine — 22 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife, then transfer them to a saucepan.
Pour the milk and cream into the saucepan, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. Soak the gelatin in cold water beforehand.
Using a mixer, beat the yolks with the sugar into a fluffy foam, then pour in the vanilla milk, stirring constantly.
Pour it back into the saucepan, set over low heat, and cook until the liquid thickens; stir in the squeezed-out gelatin until fully dissolved.
Divide the blancmange among the molds and refrigerate for two hours. Before serving, turn out onto sponge cookies and garnish with raspberries and mint.
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