PEACHES IN MOSCATO JELLY WITH WATERMELON GRANITA



Peaches in moscato jelly with watermelon granita

As you can probably imagine, I have a huge 'to cook' list. Huge. So when I came home from the supermarket with 5 peaches, only to find that my mum had done the same thing an hour earlier, I resorted to my list. On it was a recipe for pink champagne jelly, but since I don't like fizz, so I decided to switch things up a bit. I know that moscato isn't the most popular wine because it's so sweet, but such zingy, floral and musk flavours make it perfect for peaches. You can definitely substitute champagne or rosé if you prefer, but no matter what, a good teaspoon of vanilla bean paste is mandatory!


The watermelon granita takes this jelly to another level by adding a refreshing hit of sweetness that is certain to impress your tastebuds (and your guests). And what's better, is that granita is super easy to make, as is the jelly! They're both syrups, but one gets frozen and one is left to set. This is a super delicious way to celebrate two of the fruits that make up a typical Aussie summer. 


What you'll need:
5 peaches
1L moscato
3 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or scraped seeds of 1 bean)

Granita:
1/2 cup sugar
1.2kg watermelon, chopped
1 cup water

What to do:
Begin by making the peach jelly. Chop each peach in half, and each half into quarters. Distribute peach eighths between 6 tall glasses. (I think I had 6 pieces in each glass… and I ate the leftover ones.) Line glasses up along a bench.

Put the gelatine into a bowl and keep next to the stove. Place the moscato and sugar into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, carefully add a cup of syrup to the gelatine and stir until it has dissolved. Pour the gelatine into the saucepan with the rest of the syrup and stir in vanilla bean seeds.

Ladle or pour the syrup over the peaches and full each glass evenly until all of the syrup has been shared out. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set.

Now, make the granita. Bring water and sugar to the boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, add the watermelon pieces and simmer with the lid on for a further 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Once cool, place the watermelon and it's syrup into a food processor and whizz until smooth. (You may need to do this part in two batches.) Pour into a large, shallow tray and freeze. Rake mixture every hour for 3 hours, and then allow to freeze right through. To serve, rake the granita and serve atop set jellies. Enjoy!