I particularly like this dessert after a heavy meal as it’s light and refreshing but still hits the sweet spot. And with blood oranges in season now, this is the perfect time to make it. There are many ways to dress this up or down. It’s really straightforward and versatile: you can leave out the alcohol and the nuts, if you prefer. It’s quick too, especially if you buy supermarket juice (or you could substitute any fresh fruit juice).

I used Dr Oetker Vege-gel to make it vegan and veggie friendly, but you could use gelatine, just follow the instructions on the packet to get the right results. You could also make the custard vegan with non-dairy milk and cornflour, and use a non-dairy cream. 

I used small dariole moulds but you could make one large jelly if you have a nice mould. 

Ingredients and method

Makes 6

Toasted almonds

200g flaked almonds

Toast for 10-12 minutes in a 160C oven on a baking tray – do this when you’re using the oven anyway, and store in an airtight container. 

Citrus jelly

1 litre fruit juice (blood orange, clementine, pomegranate all work well)
100g caster sugar
2 sachets Vege-gel 

Prepare the moulds – I used non-stick spray, or you could wipe with a little vegetable oil. 

Pour the  fruit juice into a saucepan and add the sugar. Give it a quick stir. Then sprinkle the vege-gel sachets over the surface. Give it another quick stir, then heat the liquid and keep stirring until it comes to the boil. Turn off the heat and work quickly to fill the moulds (I use kitchen scales and a measuring jug to get each jelly the same size. Divide the overall volume by the number of moulds to get the exact volume). 

The jellies will set quickly, and you can then fridge them until needed. Dip the moulds in boiling water to release. 

Boozy custard

This is a traditional crème Anglaise, producing a light, pourable consistency, and you could also make it with a custard powder or even use bought custard. 

400ml whole milk
4 egg yolks
60g caster sugar
50ml Cointreau (Amaretto or Triple Sec work well too)

In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Warm the milk in a saucepan until you can see the milk proteins start to set on the edge (hot but not boiling). Pour some of the hot milk over the yolks and give it a good whisk to combine. Then tip the mixture back into the saucepan (and swill the small bowl with more milk to make sure you get all the egg yolk mixture).

Over a low heat use a wooden spoon and keep stirring as the mixture thickens. You do not want it to boil (you will end up with scrambled eggs), so take it off the heat as soon as it coats the back of your spoon.

Pour into a clean bowl and add the Cointreau (to taste, around 50ml). Stir and then cover the surface with clingfilm to stop a skin from forming on top. Set aside to cool. 

Seasoned cream 

500ml double cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to whisk until sloppy – you are looking for foldable consistency rather than stiffly whipped. 

To assemble, unmould the jellies (dip the mould in hot water for a few seconds and jiggle to release) into serving bowls. Spoon the custard around the jelly, top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.

Variation: make pannacotta, serve with chocolate custard and Baileys cream 

© Linda Galloway 2025