Chilled White Wine Sangria Jellies

You know how some recipes can get you more revved up than others? 

When I saw how well these little sangria jellies turned out, I just about burst with excitement!

Then I had a Woody Allen moment and was absolutely convinced I was going to get flattened by a truck before having the chance to share them with you...

Phew.

I'm still here. 

And so are you!

---------------

These fruit jellies are so much fun and are sure to add a splash of novelty and elegance to your summer celebrations.

What I appreciate most about them is their complete adaptability.  You can vary the size and content entirely according to dietary need and preference.

If you are making a batch of sangria jellies for children, you can use a combination of water and delicious fruit juice such as white grape to keep the base translucent so that the beautiful, colourful fruit shines through at maximum capacity. 

I just love how the orange is suspended in the jelly mid-glass

Or, you can go for a brilliantly coloured beverage in a purple grape or ruby red tone, as desired.

For adults, you can play around with white, red, or rosé wine.  Or, if alcohol is not in the picture, you can simply omit it and use a sparkling water or fruit juice.  Since I generally prefer the taste of drinks without much sugar, I found sparkling water to be the perfect complement to the dry white wine and fruit in the featured version.

But you can do whatever you like with these - including varying the fruit content. You can also play with the size of these jellies - setting them up in shot glasses, ramekins or, in the featured version, I used a clear cylinder glass (with one cup capacity).

Depending on how you set it up size wise, you can offer these jellies as an apéritif or digestif or simply enjoy them for dessert, as you wish.

Chilled White Wine Sangria Jellies

• 2 cups dry fruitty white wine (I used a Niagara Riesling that was lovely - Cave Spring 2009)
• 2 cups sparkling water (such as Perrier or Pellegrino) or fruit juice or plain water
• 2 cups assorted fresh fruit, (such as orange, lemon, lime, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, peach, etc.), chopped into bite sized pieces where necessary
• 2 packets (each 7 grams) unflavoured gelatin powder

------------

Makes 4 one cup servings

Note: if you are using sparkling water, you will notice a fizz effect and likely the accumulation of bubbles (frothing) on the surface of your glasses.  You can simply use a spoon to scoop away the froth.  It's quite easy to deal with.

The ratio of wine to sparkling water used in this recipe renders a relatively mild alcoholic taste.  If you prefer, you can experiment with 3 cups white to 1 cup water, etc. as desired.

-----------


Place wine in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Allow mixture to come just to a boil and then remove from heat.  Whisk in gelatin until dissolved and well integrated.  Add sparkling water (or fruit juice or plain water).

Meanwhile, divide fruit among 4 x one cup (250-mL) glasses. Pour wine mixture into each glass dividing it among the four glasses.

Refrigerate sangria jellies until set, about 2-3 hours.  They will store well in the fridge for up to 2 days.