Chocolate Jelly (& carob jelly)

Go ahead and try this different slightly gelatin dessert! It's incredibly easy and is inexpensive to make. Don't be put off if all you're accustomed to is fruit jellos; you'll be surprised how really delicious this is. Adopted for making with cocoa from RusCuisine.Com's recipe for Russian Chocolate Jelly.

    

Chocolate Jelly

2 cups Milk

2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Cocoa

6 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

2 Tbsp Gelatin

1 cup Water

        

    

   

Pour the Water over the Gelatin. Whisk a little and leave for 15 minutes.

Stir together the Sugar and Cocoa.

Warm the Water and Gelatin over very low heat just until it is a clear liquid; don't allow to boil.

At the same time, over medium high heat bring the Milk and Cream to a boil.

Dissolve the Cocoa and Sugar in the hot Milk, add the Vanilla and (now liquid) Gelatin.

Stir carefully; pour into mold(s), bowl, or serving cups (if using mold(s), lightly oil before filling)

Allow to cool, cover, and chill until set.

To unmold, set the jelly mold or bowl into a bowl of hot water for about 30 seconds, being careful not to allow any water to get into the jelly. Turn the jelly out onto a plate (sometimes with a bowl I can carefully shake the jelly loose and turn it out without the hot water dip, but it is a rather necessary step with a mold)

It's delicious and lovely plain, but if you like you can make a fancy presentation with a nice serving dish and piped whipped cream, and perhaps berries or anything you think would be good with your yummy Chocolate Jelly.

Enjoy! 

    

    
For a more decadent version, I'm thinking of pumping it up a just little and definitely dressing it up with whipped cream; this is my plan:

   

1 3/4 cups Milk

1/4 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Cocoa

1 Tbsp Vanilla

2 Tbsp Gelatin

1 cup Milk (or, for a Mocha Latte Jelly, use left-over coffee)

If and when I try it, I'll update. 


What have I been thinking? I forgot to mention Jelly can be made with Carob. Carob is not chocolate, but it is a good stand-in that the children of the household love, makes a sweet Jelly with half the sugar, and has no caffeine (thus producing less craziness!).

Carob Jelly

2 cups Milk

2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Carob

3 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

2 Tbsp Gelatin

1 cup Water

Prepare in the same fashion as the Chocolate Jelly.
You might try making the Carob Jelly richer just as I am planning on doing someday with the Chocolate Jelly. Or, if you want or need to make it with no sugar, you may try simply omitting the sugar as carob has some sweetness of its own; this may render a dark flavor. For fewer calories altogether you could also omit the cream and make it with nonfat milk, and, if you wish or need to avoid dairy, make it with an alternate milk such as almond.