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Apricot and amaretto jelly

Jenni Muir
Luscious amaretto liqueur adds sophistication to richly fruity apricot nectar in this adults-only jelly served with a dollop of thick, nutty cream

Apricot and amaretto jelly

Method

1. Place the apricot nectar, amaretto liqueur and cinnamon in a saucepan. Heat gently to simmering point, then lower the temperature and keep simmering very gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

2. Ladle about 125ml of the hot apricot mixture into a heatproof jug. Sprinkle the sachet of gelatine evenly over the surface of the liquid in the jug, allowing the grains to absorb the liquid. Whisk briskly to dissolve the gelatine, then pour the mixture into the saucepan and stir to combine with the rest of the apricot mixture.

3. Discard the cinnamon stick. Pour the mixture into the jelly moulds and leave to cool. Place the filled moulds in the refrigerator to chill and set for 2-3 hours.

4. To make the almond cream, bring about 200ml of water to the boil in a kettle. Place the unskinned almonds in a small heatproof bowl and, when the water has boiled, pour it over the almonds to cover. Set aside for 5 minutes to soak.

5. Drain the water from the nuts and peel the skins away. Place the almonds in a small food processor or blender bowl and process until finely chopped. Slowly add the iced water, blending the mixture to a thick cream, then mix in the sugar and vanilla. Taste and adjust the levels of sugar and vanilla to taste.

6. To turn out the jellies, dip the base of the moulds in a basin of hot water. Invert the jellies onto serving plates, then top with a spoonful of the almond cream and decorate with orange zest or strips of glacé or dried apricot.

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Serves: 4

Prep: 5 min, plus cooling and setting time
Cook: 10 min

Ingredients

main:

500ml apricot nectar
100ml almond-flavoured liqueur, such as Amaretto
1/2 stick Cinnamon
1 sachet gelatine

For the almond cream:

50g whole almonds
3 tbsp ice cold water
1 tsp icing sugar or vanilla sugar
a few drops of vanilla extract
a few strips of blanched orange zest, or fine strips of glacé or dried apricot, to garnish