Raspberry Blancmange

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The retro food's from my childhood were not really things you can even make at home. I was born in the nineties. That brand of retro can only be made with chemicals. In a factory. 

So we'll have to go back a bit. 

To a retro from before I was born. 

And one of the food's that Dad hates more than any other. On par with mashed potato and porridge. But more retro. 

Blancmange. 

Which is not said blanc-mange but rather blomondge. 

Except I think that blancmange has an identity crisis. For a start- some people have this absurd notion that it's made from gelatin. What is with that? Others from ground almonds. Which again- what? Do they not know that blancmange comes out of a packet? You heat milk, mix it in, whisk like you're life depends on it. And then wait till it cools. 

Also- blancmange (blomondge) just doesn't sound that great. I mean - it sounds kind of... stodgy. And lumpy. And bland. And lukewarm. And bad school dinners. Basically- everything that you don't want to eat. 

And although I do admit that if you don't whisk it till your arm has literally fallen off (and even sometimes when you do) it can be a bit lumpy. But even then - it's not that bad. I like it. My Mom likes it. My Nana likes it. My friends like it. Everyone but my Dad likes it. And my brother but he refuses to try anything I've made- so that's not blancmanges fault. 

So I've decided to give it a makeover. Or really - it's just a name over. 

From now and forever more blancmange shall be called 'set pudding'. Cause no one knows what that is- so apart from anything else- who's going to know that it's not supposed to be lumpy? 

Raspberry Set Pudding (formally blancmange)

Serves 2

• 1 cup plant milk
• 2 tablespoons cornflower (corn starch) 
• 1/3 cup frozen raspberries, mashed
• Sweetener to taste (I used 1 tablespoon of sweet freedom)

• Become best friends with your whisk. 
• Set out the containers on a flat surface. You NEED to do this now because you won't have time otherwise. 
• Place all the ingredients in a small pan and place on a gentle heat. 
• Whisk
• Whisk
• Whisk
• Seriously. Don't stop whisking. 
• I'm serious
• I mean it
• Whisk
• Whisk
• Whisk
• You need to do this till it is thickened and bubbling. 
• Whisk
• Whisk for about another minute
• Before you give up because there's a lot of whisking- the whole process should take no more than 5 minutes. If it has- some thing's gone wrong.. 
• Whisk
• Whisk while your pour the pudding into the containers you're going to store/serve them in
• Seriously- master the art of whisking will you pour.
• Leave the puddings to cool- and then transfer to the fridge. They should be slightly wobbly- but not liquid. A bit like jelly. If it's too liquid- cook it for slightly longer next time. It does set as it cools however. 
• These will last a few days- but not more than about 3/4 - and I haven't tried but I'm pretty sure that you can't freeze them
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