Recipe – Jelly Hearts

I FINALLY DID IT!

I have been wanting to make Jelly Hearts for the longest time. I first ate it in JC, when my form teacher treated us with this cute dessert right after our A Levels. The concept was still very new at that moment but it tasted heavenly!

It has been almost 10 years and lately I got in touch with Jelly Hearts. So I decided to give it a go and try to make it myself!

If you have made Jelly Hearts before, you will agree with me that this is not a difficult dessert to make but THE MOST TROUBLESOME & TIME CONSUMING one! Because there are three different layers and after completing every layer, you have to chill it in the fridge for hours. So it is not those dessert that can let you eat within the same day of making.

I wanted to make this to give to some of my friends as a mini Christmas treat. All went smoothly till the very last stage when I have to pour the strawberry jelly layer into my already chilled cheese cake. My strawberry jelly layer leaked out of my removable cake tin and when I went into the kitchen, my whole kitchen floor and table is filled with strawberr jelly! I should have taken a photo of the horrible mess that I have created. And it was already 1.30am in the middle of the night!

Well, I don’t know what exactly went wrong but I assumed it was my removable cake tin. But the consolation for myself is, I don’t really like the artificial strawberry flavour, so the less the merrier! Then when I took it out from the fridge the next day (yes, my fridge was also full of strawberry jelly), it still looks ok! I packed about 20 jelly hearts to the office happily.

Guess what, when I reached the office, half of my jelly hearts have melted and most of them are disfigured! It only took me 20 minutes to go office! I felt very tramautised by it but luckily my friends are still willing to eat them! 够朋友！

So I am making it tonight again, and this time I am using another cake tin, please wish me good luck!

Recipe – Jelly Hearts
For 10 inch square tin (Makes 25 jelly hearts)

Ingredients

For the crust –
300g digestive biscuits
150g unsalted butter

Method:
1. Microwave the butter for 30 to 40 seconds at high till butter is melted.
2. Dip a brush into the melted butter and butter a large rectangular pan generously.
3. Place digestive biscuits in a food processor and process until they become fine crumbs.
4. Add the melted butter into the biscuits. Stir well.
5. Place Using a potato masher or a large glass with a flat surface, pack the mixture tightly into the pan.
6. Place the pan in the fridge and chill until ready to use.

Tip:
– If you are using a non-removable tin, you can line the tin with aluminium or baking paper so that the crust won’t stick to the tin and it will be easier for you to remove.

For the cheesecake layer –
250g cream cheese (placed in room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to soften)
2 & 1/2 tablespoons gelatin powder
200g boiling water
70g sugar
About 13 strawberries

Method:
1. Add gelatin powder and sugar in a bowl.
2. Add boiling water to the mixture. Stir well till all the gelatin everything has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cream cheese till soft and smooth.
4. Add the cooled gelatin mixture a little at a time. Whisk well to combine.
5. Remove the pan from the fridge. Pour the cream cheese mixture on to the biscuit base and let it set for 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cut the strawberries. Cut them into half and use a heart shape mould to cut them into heart shape.
7. Press each strawberry half into the cream cheese mixture. Let the strawberry sink in gently.
8. Cover the pan with cling film wrap. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tips:
– If the strawberries don’t sink in, they will float up in the jelly layer later.
– If you don’t have a mould, just slice off the white tops with the leaves and cut a deep V in the centre.

For the jelly layer –
Tortally Strawberry Jelly Powder
250g boiling water
250g cold water

Method:
1. Add boiling water into the strawberry powder. Stir well till the jelly powder is dissolved.
2. Add in cold water. Gently pour the cooled mixture over the cream cheese layer.
3. Cover with cling film wrap again. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tips:
– Ensure that the jelly-water mixture has cooled. If the mixture is still hot, it will melt the cheese layer and cause bits of cheese to float in the jelly layer.
– Use a sharp knife with a thin blade to cut the jelly hearts. Prepare a large jar of boiling water. Dip the knife into the water. Wipe it off and cut. Repeat that with every cut to get a nice clean cut with no crumbs sticking at the sides.
– Use a hairdryer to blow the surface for a few minutes before removing the jelly hearts. The heat will warm the butter at the base and make it easier to remove the jelly hearts.