Blood Orange Jelly with Cardamom Mousse

Surely these are the last blood oranges of the season, and potentially the least blood orangey of the offerings that I’ve seen, but here in Sydney the colour is all just the luck of the draw.

Yes, the last of the season, but the strawberries have finished the mangoes aren’t here in full force yet, so there is still time for blood oranges. Especially in jelly. Tart but mellow, with a beautiful lush orange blushed pink. Don’t make it too sweet, but make it middle eastern with a cardamom mousse, like I did.

Moreish jelly is a perfect foil for rich and creamy mousse with an underlying tinge or gently cardamom. Or you could add rosewater, or orange blossom water.

Who doesn’t love grown up, homemade jelly?

Blood Orange Jelly and Cardamom Mousse.

For Jelly:
1 cup blood orange juice (or other citrus).
2T lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
gelatin to set (check the packet, I used 3t of powdered gelatin for a wobbly set jelly).

For Mousse:
200mL thickened cream
200g cream cheese, or ricotta or both or mascarpone.
1/4- 1/2 cup sugar
8 cardamom pods, crushed.

For Jelly:
Dissolve sugar in a little water in a pan on the stove. Add blood orange juice and bring almost to the boil. Remove from heat and mix in dissolved gelatin and lemon juice. Pour into a container and put into the fridge to set, about 2 hours. I used a plastic container, no greasing is required if you can pour some hot water on the bottom of the container to slightly melt the edges and easily unmould the jelly.

For Mousse:
In a small pan heat sugar, crushed cardamom pods and a little water. We want to dissolve the sugar and flavour the mixture at the same time. This mixture is ready when it turns into a viscous syrup, flavoured adequately with cardamom.
Whip cream until soft peak stage. Reserve. Whip up cheese until smooth. Add slightly cooled and strained sugar syrup and blend until smooth. Fold in cream and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the mousse and jelly together, with crisp tuiles or pistachios, or on their own.

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