Retro Gelatin Desserts Get an Upgrade When You Add Lychee

This recipe is a grown-up version of the countless jelly cups I enjoyed as a kid. The bitty ones, shaped like a thimble, that came in a range of rich shades, from frosty to neon, and just as many flavors. This version needs only a handful of ingredients: a can of lychees, a palmful of raspberries, and a single pouch of gelatin. Snippets of fruit float within the gel, setting into an enchanting mosaic similar to the swirl trapped inside a cat’s eye marble. The tart raspberry echoes the floral notes of juicy lychee and stains the jelly my favorite shade of pink — blush. A downy pillow of cream is the final flourish.

Raspberry Lychee Jelly Jars

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 raspberries, divided
• One 20 oz. (565 g) can lychees in syrup
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
• One ¼ oz. (7 g) envelope unflavored gelatin powder
• Water, as needed
• Whipped cream, for garnish

Special Equipment

• Six 5 oz. (148 ml) jars

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mash 4 of the raspberries well with a fork (you’re aiming for puree consistency). Push through a fine-mesh sieve, using a rubber spatula, into a small bowl and discard the seeds. Cut the remaining 4 raspberries into a small dice. Set aside.
2. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a 4-cup (1 L) liquid measuring cup and drain the lychees, pressing firmly with a rubber spatula to extract as much syrup as possible. This should break up the lychees pretty nicely (if it doesn’t, coarsely chop them). You should have about 1 ⅔ cups (400 g) syrup. Add enough water to make 2 ½ cups (600 g) of liquid total and whisk to combine.
3. In a small saucepan, whisk together 2 cups (480 g) of the lychee syrup mixture and the sugar. Cook, whisking regularly, over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is steaming, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover.
4. In a medium bowl, add the remaining ½ cup (120 g) lychee syrup mixture and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over top. Whisk together and let absorb for 5 minutes. 
5. Add the gelatin to the warm lychee syrup mixture and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in the raspberry puree. 
6. Divide the chopped lychees and raspberries evenly among six 5-ounce (148 ml) jars. Dividing evenly, pour the gelatin mixture into the jars. Cover with lids or plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.
7. Before serving, let the jelly jars sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off. Top with whipped cream. 

Excerpted with permission from Sugarcane by Arlyn Osborne published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, March 2024, RRP $35.00 Hardcover.