A delicious and pretty Summer desert; sweet seasonal peaches and raspberries set in a jewel like peach jelly with a luscious vanilla panna cotta bottom. This one will have you at the first heavenly mouthful!

Peaches and Raspberries in the peach jelly

Fast forward to Christmas 2014; I was planning several meals over the Christmas period and this popped into my head. I knew it was in a cooking magazine and not in one of my cookbooks, but for the life of me I could not remember which one & let alone which issue. As already disclosed I have a ‘slight’ cook book addiction…I also have a vast amount of recipes collected (and sorted) from magazines as well as a pretty impressive cooking magazine collection. I have Australian Vogue Entertaining magazines from December 1984 and Australian Gourmet Traveller magazines dating from July 1994. In looking for the elusive Peach Jelly recipe I spent hours thumbing through these treasured foodie time capsules; reminiscing, acquainting, myself with some old favourites (including a great nutmeg cake) and taking in how food and the food industry has developed in Australia over the last 20 years. How the greats of today were the fresh young talent of yesterday. I sat back with a feeling of contentment & delight that I had been witness to Australia’s development of a unique and highly regarded food ‘style’ which has been inclusive in nature, embracing the food from the melting pot of cultures which is Australia.

Foodie time capsules!

True to the banner on the magazine, this really does ‘turn simple into special’ and if you try it I would enjoy your comments.

With home made peach ice cream

Kathryn x

Peaches & Raspberries in Jelly with Vanilla Panna Cotta Donna Hay Magazine – Issue 6. Serves 6

Peach Jelly
1 ½ cups water
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean – split and seeds scraped
3 peaches, halved and stone removed
1 tbsp powdered gelatine
½ cup raspberries

Panna Cotta
2 tbsp powdered gelatine
1 ½ warm water
3 ½ cups cream (single or pouring cream)
1 cup icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
1 tspn vanilla extract

Jelly:

• Place water, sugar & vanilla bean (including the scraped seeds) into a saucepan over a medium heat & stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the peaches & simmer for 5 mins until soft. Remove them from the liquid and remove the skins and set aside.
• Place ¼ cup of the peach liquid in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatine over the liquid – setting aside for 5 mins. Retain the remaining liquid.
• Add the peach & gelatine mixture to the remaining peach liquid &simmer whilst stirring until gelatine is dissolved. Remove the vanilla bean. Strain the jelly with fine sieve.
• Oil (a light oil such as vegetable of sunflower oil) a loaf tin (26 x 8 x 7.5 cm = 10 x 3 ¼ x 3 ¼ inch)
• Place peaches in the loaf tin cut side up and sprinkle with raspberries & pour over the liquid and refrigerate until firm (around 2 hrs).

Panna Cotta:

• Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Place cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
• Add the gelatine mixture to the cream mixture & stir over a low heat until gelatine is dissolved.
• Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Pour the panna cotta over the jelly and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (or overnight) until set.
• Invert. You may need to carefully loosen the sides with a palette knife and turn onto a platter/dish.
• Slice and serve with fresh berries and cream or ice cream.