Gin & Tonic Jelly

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups water (plus 3 tablespoons more)
• 1½ cups superfine sugar
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 1⅔ cups tonic water
• 1 cup gin
• 1 ounce sheet gelatin (platinum grade)
• 2 cartons white currants (or 3 - 4 cartons raspberries optional)
• 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar (if using raspberries)

NOTE: ​In the US, use 5½ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin. At step 2, put 5 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin. Let it stand for 5 minutes to hydrate, it will swell up and become slightly translucent. At step 2, stir the gelatin into the saucepan of warm liquid, until dissolved. Continue as directed.

Method
You will need a 5 cup jelly mold, lightly greased with almond or vegetable oil.

1. Put the 300ml / 1¼ cups water and the sugar into a wide, thick-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, take off the heat, add the lemon zest and leave to steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a measuring jug, then add the lemon juice, the tonic water and the gin; you should have reached the 1,200ml / scant 5 cup mark; if not, add more tonic water, gin or lemon juice to taste.
2. Soak the sheet gelatin (platinum grade) in a dish of cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, warm 250ml / 1 cup of the gin and tonic mixture in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Take off the heat and let it cool a little, then squeeze out the sheet gelatin (platinum grade) and stir them into the warm gin and tonic mixture until dissolved. Then stir this into the remaining gin and tonic mixture in the measuring jug, making sure it is thoroughly dispersed. Pour into the mold and, when cold, put in the fridge to set. This should take about 6 hours.
3. When you are ready to unmold, half-fill a sink with warm water and stand the jelly mold in it for 30 seconds or so. Clamp a big flat plate over the jelly and invert to mold, shaking it as you do so. If it doesn't work, stand it in the warm water for another half-minute or so and try again. If you've used a dome mold, surround the jelly with white currants (Sainsbury's sells them in summer, as do many greengrocers'), or fill the hole with them if you've used a ring mold. Raspberries are just as good, but dust these with confectioners' sugar - it sounds fancy, but it makes the pale-jade glimmer of the jelly and the otherwise-too-vibrant red of the fruit come together on the plate. The white currants should be left to glimmer, opal-like, without interference.

Variance: To make a vodka and lime jelly, simply substitute 6 limes for the 2 lemons and use vodka in place of the gin.
Source: "How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking" November 14, 2001 by Nigella Lawson.