(serves 6)

There is nothing like a moulded jelly to deliver maximum impact for minimum input – especially a gloriously-rubied fruit tea jelly full of beautiful summer fruit.

INGREDIENTS

Jelly:
5 tsp Melba’s Oranges & Berries Tea
7 gelatine leaves (titanium strength)
300ml elderflower cordial
125g punnet raspberries

Baked Apricots & Strawberries:
6 apricots
500g strawberries, hulled and cut in half
5 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Madeleines:
60g unsalted butter, chopped
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp milk
1 large egg
55g caster sugar
75g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt

To serve:
600ml thickened cream
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
1 tbsp icing sugar
125g punnet raspberries
Store bought meringues
Edible flowers and freeze-dried raspberry powder (optional)

METHOD

Begin this recipe the day before you want to serve it to give the jelly time to set. The baked fruit and madeleine batter can be made ahead of time too.

For the jelly, brew Melba’s Oranges & Berries Tea in 800ml boiling water. Steep for 8 minutes before straining and allowing tea to cool. When tea has cooled, soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for a couple of minutes to soften. Whilst gelatine is soaking, heat elderflower cordial in a small saucepan until nearly simmering. Squeeze out soaked gelatine leaves to remove excess water and stir gently into hot cordial until completely dissolved. Pour elderflower cordial and gelatine mixture along with cooled tea into the base of your trifle bowl, stirring mixture until well combined. Add 125g raspberries to the jelly mixture and refrigerate until set (5-6 hours or overnight).

For the baked fruit, preheat oven to 200°C (fan-forced) and prepare the apricots by cutting fruit in half and removing stones. Place apricots in a single layer, skin side down in a baking tray and sprinkle with 3 tbsp caster sugar. Squeeze over half of the lemon juice and set aside whilst you prepare the strawberries. In a second baking tray, place strawberries, remaining 2 tbsp caster sugar and remaining lemon juice, tossing to combine. Place both trays in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fruit has softened and is starting to caramelise. Allow fruit to cool in trays, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

To make madeleines, place butter, vanilla, honey and milk in a small saucepan and place over low heat until butter has melted. Stir and set aside to cool. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg and sugar until bubbly. Add half the flour and salt to the batter and mix in, before stirring in cooled butter mixture. Add remaining flour and mix to a smooth batter. Cover and allow batter to rest in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 2 days.

On the day you are serving the trifle, preheat oven to 170°C (fan-forced) and grease a 12 hole madeleine tin well with butter. Dust with a little flour, tapping out any excess. Spoon a scant tablespoon of batter into each madeleine hole, taking care not to overfill. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until risen, golden and cooked through. Take madeleines out of the oven and allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble trifle, make the elderflower cream by whipping thickened cream, elderflower cordial and icing sugar to soft peaks. Layer half the whipped cream gently on top of the jelly. Scatter a layer of madeleines (or torn sponge cake) on top, followed by two thirds of the baked fruit and syrup, half of the raspberries and a hand full of broken meringue pieces. Dollop on remaining whipped cream, press another handful of madeleines into the cream, spoon over remaining roasted fruit and syrup and top with more meringue pieces and raspberries. Finish with edible flowers and raspberry powder, if using.

Best eaten soon after being assembled; store trifle in the fridge until ready to serve. Any leftovers can be kept refrigerated for a day or two.