Gettin Jiggly With It: Raspberry Blancmange

Welcome to week four of recreating desserts from The Great British Baking Show! As I explained before, the show consists of three challenges: the signature, technical, and showstopper. The technical challenge is unknown to the bakers, and it is always the most difficult task they face in an episode. Despite my previous blog failures, I have chosen to make the technical item from the week: Raspberry Blancmange. 

Although the blancmange made on the show is a sweet version flavored with raspberry and almond, the original blancmange from the medieval times was a savory dish flavored with chicken or fish served to members of the upper classes. Not until the 19th century did the French blancmange become a dessert food. The blancmange is commonly infused with fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries. 

The blancmange is somewhat of a combination of a Jello and mousse therefore it needs time for the gelatin to set. The biggest hurdle for the bakers was getting it to set which was made more difficult by the summer heat. Luckily, the weather and indoor air conditioning will be in my favor, however, I have never worked with gelatin. While the recipe is labeled easy, my inexperience has been the cause of multiple issues. 

For most of the cooking process, I was unsure of what the mixture was supposed to look like. Cooking different flours and milks on the stove looks a lot like glue. Once the raspberries and sugar were added though, things started to come together. The most challenging part of the entire project was getting the blancmange to come out of the mold. I think that I was supposed to let it chill in the fridge, but I, for whatever reason, decided to leave it in the freezer overnight. Following about fifteen minutes of sitting in a large bowl of warm water, I was able to get the blancmange to release from the mold. While the shape was not very neat, it has a strong color and flavor that Mary Berry would be proud of. Personally, I did not enjoy the texture of the blancmange, but it was a hit with the rest of my family!