Make this Blackberry Goat Cheese Blancmange for an impressive finale to your special holiday feast

This rich, creamy dessert is so elegant and perfectly portioned, it's the natural finale to your special celebratory meal.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Blancmange

By Giselle Courteau

When I was a little girl my Grand-mre often served us homemade blancmange, a cold, thickened dessert similar to pudding or custard. The basic ingredients of blancmange are usually cream and sugar. A friend brought us an updated version made with buttermilk and blackberries, and we took it to the next level by adding goat cheese. If youre not a fan of goat cheese, feel free to leave it out of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp ice water
• 1 tsp powdered gelatin
• cup whipping cream
• cup + 1 tbsp sugar
• vanilla bean, sliced open lengthwise
• cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 cups buttermilk
• cup whipping cream
• cup fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• tsp orange blossom water

Equipment:

• 8 ramekins or small dessert bowls

Preparation

Make sure the water is ice cold. Put it in a small microwavable bowl, sprinkle in the gelatin, and stir to dissolve. Set aside at room temperature until firmly set, about 3 to 4 minutes.

In a small saucepan, place the first measure of the whipping cream and the sugar. Using the back of a knife, scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean into the saucepan. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.

Turn the heat down to low and whisk in the goat cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Melt the set gelatin in the microwave for 1 minute or until completely melted. Whisk it into the goat cheese mixture, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk and set aside.

Using a whisk or a hand mixer, whip the second measure of whipping cream until soft peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip the cream, or your blancmange may turn out lumpy.

Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the goat cheese mixture.

Pour into the ramekins, leaving a bit of space at the top for the blackberry topping. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or until set.

Put the blackberries in a small bowl and crush them with a fork. Stir in the icing sugar and orange blossom water. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, spoon the blackberry mixture into each ramekin to completely cover the blancmange. If desired, garnish with a whole blackberry and a twist of orange zest.

Blancmange will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Excerpted fromDuchess Bake Shop: French-Inspired Recipes from our Bakery to Your Homeby Giselle Courteau. Copyright 2014 Duchess Bake Shop. Appetite by Random House edition published 2017. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.