rose geranium and blackberry spanish creams

spanish cream was one of the few summer sweets my mother used to make for me and my siblings when we were young..i remember liking the texture of it but being a bit ambivalent about its flavour..i was disappointed to find i felt the same when i made it myself once many many decades ago..the memory of it and a desire to make it again remained in the recesses of my mind until today when i was thinking about how i might best use some close to 'use by date' milk..i experimented by infusing rose geranium leaves in the milk and putting blackberry jelly mixed with chambord in the base of the moulds..

rose geranium and blackberry spanish creams
serves 6

adapted from here

ingredients 

550 mls full cream milk ( i used unhomogenised organic) 

50 mls double cream

3 tablespoons (tbs) castor sugar

5-6 rose geranium leaves washed and dried

5 leaves gold strength gelatine 

3 eggs separated

blackberry jelly

chambord

6 blackberries 

method

~ wet the moulds, shake out excess water and place 2 teaspoons (tsp) of blackberry jelly and 1 tsp chambord in the base of each mould 

~ place the milk, cream and the rose geranium leaves in a saucepan and bring the mixture to the boil stirring to prevent scorching

~ remove from the heat and add sugar stirring until dissolved

~ remove the geranium leaves

~ beat egg yolks and add about 1/2 cup of hot milk/cream a little at a time* while stirring 

~ strain the egg/milk mix into the remaining milk/cream mix 

~ pour the mix into the top of a double boiler and heat** for 3-5 minutes while stirring 

~ cut the gelatine leaves into four and put in a bowl of water for a minute or two until softened

~ remove the pan of milk mix from the heat, add well squeezed gelatine leaves, and stir until dissolved

~ place the pan of custard in an ice bath and stir occasionally until cool

~ once cool beat the egg whites until stiff

~ mix a little of the egg white into the milk and then fold in the remaining egg white

~ divide between the moulds and refrigerate for 2- 3 hours until set

serve 

unmould the creams on to serving dishes and garnish with extra blackberry jelly/chambord mix and a blackberry

notes: *   to prevent curdling

          ** do not boil

so what did i think? 

i think the combination of the soft rose geranium flavour and not too sweet custard was complimented by the slight tang of the sweet jelly/chambord

i'll definitely be making it again