Blancmange

 "After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody; even one's own relations."  said Oscar Wilde.  Today, after hunting and experimenting and checking multitudes of recipes I forgive myself for not having the fortitude of bringing all of my mother's hand written recipe books with me to Australia.

It was the simplest thing that brought great joy to our family:  this recipe that my mother whipped up for dessert.  I knew that she used minimal ingredients and it involved Brown and Polson's or Weikfield Custard powder, glazed cherries, milk and sugar.  Yes, a simple milk pudding.  It was always yellow - from the custard powder and had these red cherries on the sides.

The taste was smooth and creamy and it was not too sweet and very light. Amma called it Blancmange and back in the day it was our version of a five star restaurant quality piece of delectable luxury.

Though I experimented several times with custard powder, it just did not work out for me so I have used this recipe and added a touch of yellow food colour to get the neurons in my brain to repaint my faded memories.

I am very happy with the taste and the glazed cherries certainly hit the spot - I still remember the childhood delight at the soft crunch and the pop of sugary rush when I bit into it.

Ingredients:

500 ml + 6 tablespoons of full cream milk

6 tablespoons cornflour

a pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

6 tablespoons caster sugar

Glazed cherries (optional) and seasonal fruits / berries to serve 

1 drop yellow food colour (optional)

1 500 ml jelly mould, greased with vegetable oil

Method:

Mix the cornflour with the 6 tablespoons of milk, vanilla essence, salt and the sugar.  Make it into a slurry and keep aside.

Into the greased jelly mould, place the glazed cherries if you are using them.

In a saucepan, heat milk. Stir constantly as you do not want it to boil or form a skin on the top. When the milk is steaming, add the slurry and stir constantly.  You can use a whisk if you want, but I find using a spoon easier.

The trick is to keep checking the back of the spoon to see if the liquid sticks to the spoon. When the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon like a skin, evenly, turn off the flame.

Pour the liquid into the prepared jelly mould.  Keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 hours.

To unmould, gently place the jelly mould in hot water and using a thin sharp knife, prise the edges gently.

Turn it on to a plate / platter.

Decorate with fruits / berries of your choice. Enjoy your blancmange!