Strawberry and milk jelly

This recipe takes the concept of strawberries and cream to a whole new level. The top layer of jelly is made from a puree of fresh strawberries, the bottom layer from sweetened milk flavoured with vanilla. This is a dessert with definite wow factor.

Strawberry and milk jelly Credit: Petrina Tinslay

• makes

  1

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 8 gelatine leaves
• 250 g strawberries
• 2 tbsp sugar, plus ½ cup extra
• 1 tbsp boiling water
• 3 cups milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

Setting time 5 hours

Instructions

Soak 2 leaves of gelatine in a bowl of cold water. Soak the remaining 6 leaves of gelatine in a separate bowl of water.

Place the strawberries and sugar into a food processor and process until smooth.

Strain through a sieve to remove the strawberry seeds and, if necessary, add a little water to make up to 1 cup of strawberry liquid. This is to ensure you have the correct quantities for the gelatine to set to the same consistency for both layers.

Drain the 2 leaves of gelatine well and pour over the boiling water, stirring to dissolve the gelatine sheets. Add this gelatine and water mixture to the strawberry puree, stirring well to combine.

Pour the strawberry puree into a 1 litre mould and place in the fridge for 1 hour until set.

Place the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds into a saucepan, and heat over a medium heat until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Drain the 6 leaves of gelatine well and add to the warmed milk, stirring well to ensure the gelatine has dissolved. Strain into a bowl and allow to cool. You could place the milk mixture over a bowl of iced water to speed up the process, but be careful not to let it get too cold or the gelatine will begin to set.

When the milk mixture has cooled, pour it gently over the back of a spoon down the side of the mould, being careful not to disturb the set strawberry layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight until set.

To serve, dip the mould into hot water for 15 seconds, then quickly dry the outside of the mould. Place your serving plate on top of the mold and invert. Remove the mould and serve immediately.

the food dept. fact
• Gelatine leaves can come in varying strengths, so check your packet for the manufacturer’s recommendations and adjust the recipe accordingly.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay, styling by David Morgan and art direction by Anne Marie Cummins.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.