I was intrigued when I saw the technical challenge at Bake Off – Desserts week. It looked very much like panna cotta, but with added fruit puree, so that was something I knew I would love to try. My husband and I wanted to try the roulade and we did, but that didn’t turn out good, so I’m going to make that again before sharing the recipe. Today I’ve made this vegetarian blueberry Blancmange and it is great. I based my recipe on the vegetarian panna cotta I’ve shared a couple of years ago. I liked the blueberry Blancmange so much that I’m going to make it again, and with other fruits too.

Because gelatin is not vegetarian, being made out of beef, pork, or fish bones (not usual and quite hard to find), I’ve used agar agar. It is a gelatin used for centuries in Asia, made out of algae. It is much more easier to use because it hardens quicker. At Bake Off, they had 2 hours and a half to make the Blancmange, had to put it in the freezer and after that transfer it into the fridge. With agar agar there is no need for this. It hardens in half an hour, in the fridge. If you never used it before, do buy it and see how it works. I always get mine from Lakeland.

Ingredients for 6 servings of Blueberry Blancmange with langues de chat:

– 350g frozen blueberrie
– 300ml milk
– 50g sugar
– 1 tsp agar agar
– 20g ground almonds
– fondant flowers to decorate (homemade like mine, or shop-bought)
Ingredients for the langues de chat:
– 30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 30g plain white flour
– 1 medium free range egg white. approximately 25g
– 30g icing sugar
– pistachio flavouring (optional)

To make the blueberry Blancmange, put the milk, agar agar, sugar, and grounded almonds in a shaker and shake until the ingredients are incorporated.
In a bowl, put the blueberries and mash them with a blender.
Pour the milk mixture into a saucepan, put it on the hob over medium heat. Bring the mixture to boil, stirring continuously. When it starts to boil, remove it from the heat. Scoop the blueberry mash into the milk mixture and stir. Afterwards poor it into moulds. Pop the moulds in the fridge for a couple of hours, it will harden fast though. You can use silicone moulds that are easier to release, but brush them with oil to make it easier to take out the puds. Alternatively, you can use an oil spray, as I did.

I’ve used two different moulds because I didn’t have two identical ones or a big one. While the Blancmange is setting, make the biscuits.

Pre heat the oven at 180C or 160C for fan assisted ovens. Cream the butter with the sugar. Whisk the egg white with the pistachio flavouring. Pour the egg over the butter and incorporate. Add the flour and incorporate. Put 12 blobs of batter on the baking tray that is lined with a baking paper. You can pipe the batter. I didn’t use a pipping bag as it wasn’t a lot of batter. Bake for 10 minutes.
Take the baking tray out of the oven. Leave the biscuits to cool for 3-5 minutes, then transfer them on a cooling rack.

Have you ever had blueberry Blancmange or any kind of homemade Blancmange before? Is it something you’d like to try?

Part of Bake Off Bake Along.