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Grape Jelly with Orange Custard
Food & Wine's Holiday Favorites

Jelly:
1 pound Concord grapes, stemmed (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons sugar

Orange Custard:
1 1/3 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 egg yolks
1 egg white
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Topping:
3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chopped orange zest

Directions:
Make the Jelly:
In a small saucepan, combine the grapes with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the grapes are completely collapsed and exude their juice, about 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve, pressing on the solids with a wooden spoon; discard the solids in the sieve. Measure the liquid and, if necessary, boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups.

Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup of warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle on the gelatin and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, add the liquid gelatin to the hot grape juice and stir until the gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute. Spoon the jelly into 4 stemmed glasses and refrigerate, covered, until set, about 2 hours.

Prepare the Orange Custard:
Place the milk in a small heavy saucepan and sprinkle on the gelatin. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a medium heatproof bowl, beat the egg yolks and egg white with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the vanilla until pale and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the grated zest to the milk mixture and whisk until the gelatin and sugar are well combined. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat.

Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream. Pour the mixture into a clean heavy saucepan. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. (Do not let boil, or the custard will separate.)

Pour at once through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Let cool to room temperature. When the grape jelly has set, spoon a layer of orange custard into each glass on top of the jelly. Refrigerate, covered, until set, about 2 hours.

Prepare the Topping:
In a medium bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff. Pipe or spoon the cream into each glass on top of the orange custard layer. Sprinkle with the chopped orange zest. Serve chilled.

Serves 4.

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