Cassis and cardamom milk jellies

Both a dessert and boozy treat in one, these cassis and cardamom milk jellies are a perfect contribution to a holiday party. Playing with the ingredients already present in our cassis, the milk is infused with cardamom and fresh bay before being gently sweetened with honey. The mellow creaminess of the milk adds a lush richness to the bright, aromatic cassis. The beauty of this recipe is in its adaptability: feel free to tune up the sweetness with a bit more honey, or use a smidge less gelatin for a more delicate wobble. 

Ingredients 

2 cups whole milk

1 fresh bay leaf 

5 crushed cardamom pods 

1 spent vanilla bean 

⅔ cup powdered gelatin

½ cup wildflower honey 

2 cups C. Cassis 

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1¼ cups milk, the bay leaf, cardamom pods and vanilla bean. Gently heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk comes to a bare simmer. Remove from the heat.

While the aromatics are infusing in the milk, bloom the gelatin. In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup gelatin with the remaining ¾ cup milk and set aside to bloom. When thickened, add it to the still warm milk and whisk well until it’s fully dissolved. Add ¼ cup honey, or more if you have a sweeter tooth, and whisk until fully incorporated. 

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a shallow 8”x 8” container, and place in the fridge to set. 

Meanwhile, repeat the same process with the cassis. Heat 1¾ cups of the cassis in a small saucepan till steaming, then remove from the heat and sweeten with ¼ cup of honey. Bloom the remaining gelatin in ¾ cup of cassis. Add the bloomed gelatin to the still steaming cassis and whisk until fully dissolved. 

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve directly on top of the set milk jello. Return to the fridge to set for at least an hour. 

Once set, remove the jello from the container and cut into bite sized squares.