Summer jellies
Possibly the most low fat and gorgeous desserts you can create are jellies and terrines. I don’t mean the super sweet brightly coloured children’s jelly served as a party treat for every toddler’s birthday, but the elegant and sophisticated desserts created at the height of summer when fruit is at its most flavoursome. You can easily create a show-stopping wow dessert with very little skill. Making jelly takes patience to create layers rather than technical knowledge and skills in baking.
Fresh jellies are made with gelatine. Don’t be intimidated: buy sheets of gelatine from the supermarket. These are softened in cold water then dissolved in warm water. A simple guideline is that four sheets will set in one pint of liquid. Adding alcohol to jellies alters the setting consistency, so follow a recipe if you are an inexperienced jelly maker.
Perry jelly with summer fruits
This recipe won The Great British Menu dessert a couple of years ago.
Serves 4
4 gelatine leaves
500ml Perry (sparkling pear cider)
75g caster sugar
125g mixed berries
Immerse the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften.
Bring 100ml of the Perry to the boil in a small pan and add the sugar to dissolve. Drain the gelatine leaves and add to the hot Perry to dissolve. Remove from the heat, add the rest of the Perry and stir well. Place the pan to cool, but do not let it set.
You can line the base of the mould or tin with Cling Film if you want to guarantee it tuning out with the minimum of fuss. Make individuals for a dinner party dessert.
Arrange a layer of half the fruit over the base of a mould or loaf tin. Pour in half the jelly and leave to set.
Top up with the remaining fruit and jelly. This ensures that the fruit is evenly spaced throughout.
You can arrange layers of fruit or mix them for a more natural look.
Chill the jelly for three to four hours.
To turn out, immerse the base of the dish in hot water and give a sharp tap to loosen.
Serve with vanilla or fruity ice cream or sorbet.
Blackberry & tea jelly
Serves 6
3 gelatine leaves
75g caster sugar
400ml hot Earl Grey tea
350g blackberries
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften.
Add the sugar to the hot tea, stir until dissolved.
Drain the gelatine and add to the tea, stirring until dissolved.
Set aside six blackberries for decoration.
Whizz the remaining blackberries in a food processor. Pour the puree through a small sieve and stir into the tea.
Pour into six glasses or ramekins.
Leave to cool and chill overnight in a fridge.
Serve, decorated with a blackberry.
Strawberry & pink champagne jelly
Serves 8
600g Strawberries, hulled
100g Caster sugar
Juice of one lemon
8 sheets of gelatine
75cl bottle pink Champagne or sparkling
rose
Slice 500g strawberries and place in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir in the lemon juice and sugar.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave like this for 30 minutes, topping up the boiling water if necessary. The fruits will turn to a clear pink jus.
Meanwhile, line a large sieve with a clean muslin or unused dishcloth. Pour the jus into the sieve and leave to drip through gradually, do not rub it through as the liquid will lose its clarity.
Soften the gelatine sheets in cold water.
Meanwhile, pour the strawberry jus into a clean pan and heat until the point of boiling. Remove the gelatine from the cold water, shaking off the excess water, place into the hot jus and stir until completely dissolved.
Allow to cool then mix with the Champagne. Leave until just on the point of setting.
Meanwhile, slice the remaining strawberries, have ready eight Champagne flutes or wine glasses. Dip the strawberry slices into the setting jelly and stick to the sides of the glass.
To make the jelly sparkle, whisk the setting jelly until light and frothy and pour into the glasses. Chill until completely set.
To serve, top with a thin float of double cream or a spoonful of whipped cream.
