Add red wine to blueberries for an adult take on jellied dessert

Put a little kid fun into this very adult dessert with a Jell-O twist. Wild blueberries meld with Merlot wine and sherry and are topped with zabaglione for a sophisticated ending for a fine meal.

Blueberry Merlot Jelly

500 ml (2 cups) frozen wild blueberries

9 leaves red galantine gelatin

500 ml (2 cups) red wine (such as Merlot)

5 star anise

30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar

75 ml (1/3 cup) cranberry juice

1 vanilla pod

150 ml (2/3 cup) milk

30 ml (2 tbsp) sherry

2 egg yolks

30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar

Thaw wild blueberries. Soak gelatin leaves in cold water. In a small pot, place red wine and star anise and heat to reduce until it is halved. Remove star anise. Press galatin slightly and dissolve it in the mixture. Add cranberry juice while stirring. Add blueberries.

Pour jelly mixture into a cold washed rectangular tin and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours (or pour into 4 glasses and refrigerate).

Shortly before serving, cut vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out pulp. Pour milk into a small pot. Add vanilla pod and pulp. Remove vanilla pod and add sherry to taste.

In a bowl, mix egg yolk and sugar. Add vanilla milk bit by bit. Put bowl in a bain marie (larger shallow pan of warm water) and whip zabaglione until creamy.

Turn blueberry jelly out of pan and cut into cubes. Place jelly cubes in 4 glasses and pour zabaglione over jelly or serve it separately.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 249 calories, 6 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 111 mg cholesterol, 37 mg sodium.

Source: Wild Blueberry Association of North America.