Recipe for: Layered rhubarb-strawberry jelly with whipped cream

Prepare the rhubarb: wash the stalks, trim the woody ends, and cut into pieces about 1–2 cm. If the stalks are very fibrous, peel the skin thinly. Place the chopped rhubarb in a medium pot along with 80 g of sugar (take from the total amount of sugar) and 120 ml of water. Stir, set over medium heat, and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes, until the rhubarb softens and begins to break down.

Blend the hot rhubarb (if you want a smooth jelly) with an immersion blender in the pot or transfer it to a jug blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing with a spoon to separate the liquid from the fibrous parts. Add 10 ml of lemon juice to the strained puree, mix well.

Prepare the gelatin: pour the gelatin into a small bowl and add 60 ml of cold water. Let it sit for 5–8 minutes until it swells and forms a uniform gel-like mass ('bloom').

Heat the swollen gelatin in a water bath: place a bowl over a pot of gently boiling water (do not immerse the bowl), stirring until the gelatin dissolves and becomes clear (about 1–2 minutes). Do not boil. Pour the dissolved gelatin in a thin stream into the cooled rhubarb puree, vigorously mixing with a fork or whisk on one side of the bowl to distribute the gelatin well. Check the temperature: the mixture should be warm, but not hot.

Pour the rhubarb puree into 6 cups or one large dish so that the layer is about 1–1.5 cm thick. Place in the refrigerator for 30–45 minutes until the layer is slightly set at the edges and springy in the center (it should be 'partially set' — not completely firm), which usually takes 30–45 minutes.

Prepare the strawberries: remove the stems, cut larger fruits into quarters. Place the strawberries in a pot with 100 g of sugar and 40 ml of water. Heat over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, until the strawberries release their juice and the sugar dissolves. For a more intense flavor, you can lightly mash the fruits with a spoon.

Blend the strawberries until smooth using a hand blender or a jug blender. If you want small pieces of fruit in the jelly, leave some uncrushed. Add 10 ml of lemon juice and mix.

Dissolve the remaining half of the gelatin: if the remaining amount is insufficient, use 6 g of gelatin proportionally (from the total of 12 g prepared earlier) or prepare a new portion of 6 g in 30 ml of cold water and proceed as before (soak for 5–8 minutes, water bath to dissolve). Pour the dissolved gelatin into the warm, but not hot, strawberry puree and mix quickly.

Wait about 5–8 minutes until the puree cools slightly (it should be warm, not hot). Gently pour the strawberry layer over the already set rhubarb in the cups. Place back in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (it will set more slowly in larger containers) until the jellies are completely firm.

Chill the bowl and mixer attachments in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes (a cold bowl helps with whipping). Pour the chilled 30% cream (400 ml) into the very cold bowl. Add 30 g of sugar (measured from the total amount) and the seeds of a vanilla pod or 2 g of vanilla. Whip with a mixer on medium speed for 3–5 minutes until the cream thickens and starts to form soft peaks, then briefly increase the speed to achieve stiff but shiny peaks (total about 4–6 minutes).

Remove the cups with jelly from the refrigerator. Evenly spread whipped cream over the completely set layers — you can use a piping bag with a large tip for nice, decorative rosettes or spoon it on. Optionally, sprinkle with almond flakes and mint leaves on top.

Before serving, take the bowls out of the fridge 5–10 minutes earlier to let the flavors release a bit; the jelly should be slightly cool, and the cream should be gently soft. If you want a vegan version, replace the gelatin with agar-agar (use about 6 g of agar-agar dissolved in hot fruit syrup — it dissolves at a higher temperature than gelatin) and instead of cream, use whipped coconut cream (chilled, 400 ml).