Elderflower, Champagne and Summer Fruits Jelly – 1.5L mould (start making 1 day in advance)

This is a great dessert for summer in Australia! It's nice and light after a big meal and you can make it a day in advance. This jelly would also look spectacular as a Christmas centrepiece on the table. Use whatever ever fruit is in season. Cherries, stone fruit and berries are all wonderful at this time of the year.

We use edible flowers to make our jellies pop! In Australia you can buy edible flowers online from Petite Ingredient, Flowerdale Farm and Pretty Produce among others. Some gourmet food stores sell them in store too. I have heaps of violas planted in my backyard so I use those.

Measure the volume of your mould before you get started (just put water in your mould and tip it into a measuring cup). Adjust the recipe depending on the size of your tin and if you use your universal rule of jelly (6 gelatine sheets to 500ml) you won't go wrong.

Ingredients for 1.5L mould

12 gelatine leaves

1 x 750ml bottle of sparkling wine

1 cup of elderflower cordial

Juice of ½ lemon (strain the juice so there is no pulp)

Lots of raspberries, blueberries, cherries, nectarines & apricots (or other summer fruits)

Punnet of edible flowers

Method:

1. Pour the sparkling wine, elderflower cordial and lemon juice into a jug and gently mix.

2. Cut the gelatine leaves in half and place into a medium-sized heatproof bowl. Cover with water and wait 10 minutes until the gelatine has softened. Pour out the excess water.

3. Cover the gelatine leaves with a small amount of the elderflower/sparkling wine and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the gelatine has dissolved.

4. Add the gelatine mixture to the rest of the elderflower/sparkling wine mixture.

5. Arrange a few of your edible flower on the bottom of the mould and lightly spoon over the elderflower mixture until the flower are just covered. Rearrange in the fridge if they drift slightly.

6. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or a bit longer.

7. Once the first layer is semi set, add ¼ of the elderflower mixture by pouring slowly over the back of a spoon. Start to place layers of the berries, cut fruit and flowers in the jelly. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or a bit longer until semi set.

8. Keep on doing this layer upon layer until you have a full jelly mould. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours until firm set.

9. Unmould to serve by putting the outside of the mould in a bowl of very hot water. Wait a few seconds for the jelly to slightly melt from the edge of the tin and flip over onto a cake stand or plate. If there is any extra liquid released, clean up with a paper towel.

10. You can also put the jelly back in the fridge after it has been unmoulded. Just make sure the extra liquid has been cleaned up so it doesn't reset.

11. Serve with whatever you like! Whipped cream, ice-cream, more edible flowers etc.