Sparkling cranberry jellies with orange langue de chat biscuits

Description

The key to success here is to let the mixture cool before adding the wine, so all the bubbles set with the jelly rather then being destroyed by the heat. Remember that these jellies are alcoholic and therefore should be served in little glasses.

Ingredients

350ml/12fl oz good-quality cranberry juice drink
200g/7oz fresh cranberries
200g/7oz granulated sugar
6 gelatine leaves
about ½ bottle of dry Cava or other dry sparkling wine
For the biscuits
1 orange, grated zest only
60g/2¼oz unsalted butter, softened
60g/2¼oz caster sugar
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
60g/2¼oz plain flour
To garnish
4 small sprigs of mint

Recipe taken from MASTERCHEF GOES LARGE published by Ebury Press and now on sale in bookshops. Copyright Shine Limited 2005. Used by permission of Ebury Press. All rights reserved.

Method

1. Pour 300ml/½pint of the cranberry juice into a saucepan and add the cranberries and sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes, until the cranberries are soft. Remove from the heat.
2. Soak the gelatine leaves in the remaining cranberry juice for five minutes. Meanwhile, strain the cranberries and juice through a fine sieve into a large basin, pressing the cranberries with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Measure the strained liquid; you should have about 500ml/18fl oz.
3. Add the soaked gelatine to the hot liquid, stirring until dissolved. Leave to cool.
4. Make the liquid up to 900ml/1½pints with the Cava and stir until thoroughly combined. Let the bubbles subside, then pour into four 250ml/8fl oz glasses. Chill until set.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. For the biscuits, put the orange zest and butter into a bowl and beat well. Add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Stir in the egg whites (the mixture will look slightly curdled), then beat in the flour, mixing to a fairly stiff consistency.
6. Fit a piping bag with a small nozzle and fill with the biscuit mixture. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and pipe thin strips of the mixture on to it, about 5cm/2in long. They will spread dramatically in the oven, so leave 5cm/2in between each one.
7. Bake for about eight minutes, until they are pale gold in the centre and darker at the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Serve the sparkling cranberry jellies decorated with the sprigs of mint and accompanied by the biscuits.