Crema Sofia – Light Dessert with Cherry Jelly
Crema Sofía is the lightest dessert in the Argentine repertoire: firm cherry jelly and whipped cream, beaten together — not layered. What comes out is neither a custard nor a cream, but a pale pink foam that is airier than either of its two parts on their own.
Everything depends on a single step: the jelly has to be completely firm before it goes into the cream. Stirred in while still liquid, what you get is pink cream. Firm and beaten, it breaks into tiny pieces that trap air, and that is where the texture comes from.
Three ingredients, ten minutes of work, and the fridge does the rest. The chantilly cream has its own recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 sachet of cherry jelly (for 500 ml)
- 250 ml boiling water
- 250 ml cold water
- 400 ml pouring cream, well chilled
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- 1
Make up the jelly following the instructions on the packet, with the boiling water and the cold water.
- 2
Let it cool to room temperature and chill it for at least 3 hours, until it is completely firm. This step cannot be shortened: a jelly that is still soft ends up as pink cream and nothing more.
- 3
Whip the well-chilled cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla to chantilly stage.
- 4
Break up the firm jelly with a fork and add it to the cream in two batches. Beat with an electric mixer until you have an even, pink and noticeably airy mixture: the jelly breaks into tiny pieces that trap air.
- 5
Divide between glasses or individual bowls and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve well chilled.