All very well for those of you living in warm and sunny climes, wishing only for a cool porch and an iced drink, but here in the UK, I would be quite glad for some heat to beat, quite frankly.
Still, a girl can dream, can’t she? First, I planned to make cranachan, but I was too lazy to make it. So sticking to the rules of no ovens, no baking, no hot kitchens, I created a little taste of summer in the form of Elegant Fruit Jelly. I envisioned this elegance as a grown-up version of the kiddie’s favorite jelly and ice cream. They would be served in wine glasses and would be aesthetically pleasing.
All was going to plan until I smashed one of the desserts all over the floor while attempting to pull off some arty photography with it, which somewhat destroyed the elegance. Still, making individual portions was a blessing – I cleared up the mess and quickly whipped up an extra one, so nobody needed to be any the wiser!
As long as you don’t try any wine glass acrobatics, these are simple to make, delightfully cool and very pretty to look at. You just need summer fruits like strawberries, grapes, mangos, or peaches.
The addition of cream cheese to the topping definitely adds a grown-up edge; it cuts through the sweetness of the fruit jelly creating a nice contrast of flavors. However, if you have a very sweet tooth, you could use mascarpone or omit the cream cheese altogether. Or if you want vegan fruit jelly, you can use only fruits for the jelly.
Though they look and taste decadent, they can be made with low-fat and low-sugar ingredients to leave you smug as you eat them! Here is how to make the fruit jelly – one of the best cold desserts to eat on a hot day like this.
Elegant Fruit Jelly
Ingredients
- 1 packet of raspberry jelly (jello) cubes (can be sugar-free)
- 1 cup frozen mixed summer fruits
- 1 tbsp cream cheese I used a half fat version
- 200 ml double cream I used a reduced fat one
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- A few drops of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make up the jelly according to pack instructions – generally 1/3 pint boiling water to dissolve the cubes, then add cold water up to 1 pint.
- Share out the frozen fruits between 4 wine glasses and pour the jelly until each glass is about half full.
- Put the glasses into the fridge and leave for 2-3 hours to allow the jelly has set.
- Make the topping by whipping the cream with a whisk until thick and light. Add the cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar. Beat with a spoon to combine the ingredients, then whisk again.
- Spoon the cream mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the top of the set jellies, with as many waves, layers and extravagance as you like!
- Finish with a few frozen fruits as decoration and return to the fridge for another hour, to give the top fruits a chance to thaw and to chill the desserts.
Then, if you’re lucky enough to have a shady porch and sunshine, enjoy outside. If in Britain, you may have to use your imagination.
