Chocolate Blancmange With Vanilla Cherries - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla extract
None None Vanilla Cherries
1 None vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
1/2 cup granulated sugar
18 oz fresh cherries

Preparation

Sift cornstarch, cocoa powder and sugar into a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk and cream. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for 2 mins. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Distribute mixture between 6 serving glasses. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap then chill for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, for the vanilla cherries, place vanilla bean, vanilla bean seeds, sugar and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Stir over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins, or until syrup is slightly thickened.
Transfer syrup to a medium heatproof bowl. Add cherries and stir until well coated. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve blancmange topped with cherries and syrup.