Chocolate Blancmange

Chocolate Blancmange (pronounced bluh manj) is as lovely as you might remember. This chocolate pudding dessert, with its silky texture and gentle wobble, is pure nostalgic bliss!

This old-fashioned dessert might’ve fallen off the radar for a while, but it’s got a long history and is ripe for a well-deserved comeback. Whether served from an elegant mould (as pictured above) or individual bowls, this chocolate blancmange recipe is a throwback to simpler times. It's:

• easy to whip up with everyday ingredients
• creamy, smooth and just the right level of sweet
• egg-free and fuss-free.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Serving and storage
• More old-fashioned sweetness
• Chocolate Blancmange Recipe

Ingredients

This recipe uses both cocoa – I've used dutch-processed here – and dark chocolate to create that wonderfully rich chocolate flavour.

Cornflour (also known as cornstarch) is the thickening agent. The only other ingredients are caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar), full cream milk and vanilla extract.

See the recipe card at the end of this post for ingredient quantities.

To serve, I've added a little cream and raspberries.

Equipment

To create a chocolate blancmange dessert that looks like the one pictured here, you'll need a traditional jelly mould. I've used a retro glass mould that I picked up at an op shop. The dessert does look pretty spectacular when you use an old school mould, so it's worth hunting one down.

(Another visually spectacular dessert that uses a jelly mould is Broken Glass Jelly).

You can still purchase jelly moulds online and from specialty kitchen stores, though they are usually plastic. Alternatively, use a medium-sized glass bowl as a mould.

Another idea is to simply serve the dessert in individual glass dessert dishes or ramekins – without the need to unmould in order to serve. Just enjoy it straight from the dish or ramekin.

Instructions

Prepare the jelly mould, glass bowl or ramekins by filling them with water and then pouring out the water but letting them remain wet. This will help you to un-mould your blancmange. If you're planning to serve it in the bowl or ramekin, you can skip this step.

Start by blending the cornflour and cocoa with ½ cup of the milk. Mix until smooth and then set aside (see image 1).

Place the remaining milk in a medium-sized saucepan and add the sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bring the milk to an almost simmer.

TIP: You'll know it's about to simmer when you see some steam rising from the milk and small bubbles forming around the edges (see image 2).

Once milk reaches an almost-simmer, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cornflour and cocoa mix. Using a whisk to stir the mixture, start stirring immediately. Return to low-medium heat and cook for 1 minute or until the mixture has thickened (see image 3).

Remove from heat and stir through the grated dark chocolate and vanilla extract (see image 4).

Pour the mixture into wet mould/bowl/ramekins and then place into the fridge to set.

If you are planning to turn out the blancmange from the mould/bowl/ramekins, allow to set overnight. If you are going to serve in the mould/bowl/ramekins, 4-6 hours should be enough.

Un-moulding your blancmange

To un-mould blancmange, place the serving plate on top of the mould and quickly flip over. Tap the mould and gently pull it upwards. If blancmange doesn't release easily, get a warm wet tea towel and place over the mould and try again.

Serving and storage

This dessert is traditionally served cold, and looks perfect served with some cream, fresh berries and a little extra grated chocolate sprinkled on top. It would also work well with homemade Passionfruit Syrup or Cherry Compote.

Blancmange will keep, stored in the fridge, for a couple of days. It's not ideal for freezing.

More old-fashioned sweetness

Want to keep taking that stroll down memory lane? Check out these other classics:

Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)

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