'Jelly and Custard' (Set 'Custard', Rhubarb and Raspberry Jelly, Blueberry and Raspberry Gel, Shortbread Crumb and Edible Flowers)

I love trying something new, and I wanted to put my own take on jelly and custard.

 The 'Custard'
My 'custard' isn't quite what it seems, it has four ingredients, no eggs and isn't actually custard, but it does resemble that flavour. 

 Ingredients
  • 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk
  • 250ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste
  • 4 fine leaf gelatin leaves, soaked in cold water and then squeezed dry
Method
  • Heat the condensed milk, semi-skimmed milk and vanilla in a pan, until almost simmering.
  • Add your squeezed gelatin leaves, stir until dissolved. 
  • Put in your desired moulds, and leave to set in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours.

The Jelly
Very simple, you can cheat with using packet jelly, or make your own.

 Ingredients
  • Punnet of raspberries (around 350g)
  • 3 rhubarb stalks, chopped into chunks
  • 150 caster sugar
  • 5 gelatin leaves, soaked in cold water and then squeezed dry
Method
  • Add the cold water, raspberries, rhubarb and sugar in a pan, heat over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for around 10 minutes, or until the fruit is very soft, add the gelatin leaves and stir until dissolved.
  • Put the fruit mixture in a sieve and strain the liquid into a jug. Top up the liquid with water until you have reached 500ml of liquid.
  • Pour into your desired mould, and put in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or until set.

The 'Gel'

 Ingredients
  • 100g of blueberries
  • 50g raspberries
  • 1/2 teaspoon of powdered gelatin (this creates the gel texture, you can omit this and just have a coulis if you'd prefer)
  • 30ml of water
Method
  • Put all of the ingredients into a pan, over a low heat, for around 10 minutes, stirring the mixture and pressing the fruit with the back of fork to release the juices.
  • Strain the mixture through a sieve and put the liquid in the fridge until you plate up.

The Shortbread Crumb
Literally as it sounds!

 Ingredients
  • 120g unsalted butter
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 170g plain flour

Method
  • Preheat the oven to 190c
  • Cream the butter and sugar together, add the flour and create a smooth paste.
  • Roll the dough to about 1cm thick, cut into rounds or fingers and put in the fridge for half an hour.
  • Sprinkle with caster sugar and then put in the oven for 15 minutes, or until a pale golden brown colour.
  • Once cooled, put the shortbread (allowing one round/finger per person), in a blender and blitz until you have created a coarse crumb.

Edible Flowers
I used a few violet petals, which are safe to eat. If using edible flowers is something you're keen to do, I would invest in a book, which lists what is and isn't safe to eat. There are plenty on Amazon, ranging from £2.50-£10.00.

 Plating Up

  • I used ramekins as a mould to create the circular shape for the jelly and a silicone ice cube tray for the 'custard'.
  • I found the gel easier to plate, by putting in a piping bag with a small nozzle.
  • The shortbread crumb, I just used a teaspoon and put in the desired area.
  • The edible flowers are best plated with some tweezers, as they are delicate.
Tips and Tricks
  • When trying to get the custard and jelly out of the moulds, dip the bases in some warm water. This will loosen the custard and jelly from the moulds.
  • Put your serving plate in the fridge for up to an hour before plating up - this will mean that your custard and jelly will hold it's shape for longer whilst you're plating up.
  • If you've picked your petals in advance, leave them in a dish of water, this will keep them looking fresher for longer.
  • Using filtered water in your jelly is more likely to make it clear.
'Jelly and Custard'