Elderflower cordial & prosecco jelly with raspberries and rose petals

A couple of years ago I came across an idea of a prosecco jelly with lilac flowers, and I kept promising myself I would do it one day. Yet two Mays passed by, and by the time I finally got a bottle of prosecco for the recipe, the lilac blooms were all dried and brown. Roses are glorious at the moment, so I decided roses would probably be as nice in a jelly. I also had a bottle of an elderflower cordial, and the recipe for Elderflower cordial and prosecco jelly with raspberries and rose petals was born.

It's the season of elderflower now, but my own garden has just a few blooms, I would need to go foraging to get enough for the syrup.

Elderflower cordial and prosecco jelly
Ingredients:
250ml elderflower cordial
1 sachet of Dr Oetker gelatine
320ml prosecco
a handful of fresh raspberries
a few rose petals (not sprayed with any chemicals, so the shop roses won't be any good)

Heat up the cordial in a medium pan. Add a sachet of gelatine (add the gelatine to hot water or cordial, never the other way around). Stir briskly until all the gelatine is dissolved.

Add the cold prosecco, stir well again. Place the rose petals and raspberries in sundae glasses or jelly moulds. Pour the cordial mix over the berries.
Let it cool, then put in the fridge overnight, covered with a cling film.

What can I say? It is a pure delight, sweet, tart, zingy, in one word, excellent. I really loved it. It looks very classy and sophisticated, yet it is so easy to make. Skip the rose petals if you don't have or don't fancy any. Now, next spring I really must try it with the lilac.

I have used an Elderflower cordial from Belvoir Fruit Farms in this recipe. This signature drink is refreshing and delicious, and makes a classic ingredient in aperitifs and cocktails. Just the other day I saw a recipe for an Elderflower & prosecco refresher made with fizzy water and gin. Such an aperitif screams Party time! and brings thoughts of the Ladies's day at Ascot.
Let's hope we'll get a good summer when we could leisurely sip our cocktails in the garden.

Disclosure: I received a bottle of cordial for the purposes of creating a recipe with it.

Adding my recipe to #TeaTimeTreats linky hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Janie from The HedgeCombers...

... and to #FridayFoodie linky run by Otilia from Romanian Mummy Blog.

Picnic times for teddy bears

"What do teddy bears drink on a picnic in the woods, Mama?"
I think they have hot tea with honey in flasks and also bottles of the elderflower cordial. What could represent the more typical example of a summer drink on a picnic than a glass of sparkling water with the cordial? You might have noticed a limited edition bottle of Bottlegreen Elderflower Cordial in the shops. This well known and much loved brand has produced two new elegant designs for their elderflower cordial and sparkling presse.

The delicate sweet scent of the elderflower is so evocative of the British summer with its long evenings. The newly designed bottles of the cordial will add a touch of glamour to any picnic (weather permitting, of course, as the British summers could be a very elusive phenomenon, hot one day and pouring with rain the next one).
For an adult picnic why don't you mix some smashing cocktails: does an Elderflower G&T sound good? Mix the ingredients and enjoy.
If you are not keen on alcohol, make a super non-alcoholic cocktail from the elderflower cordial, apple juice and sparkling water, with lots of crushed mint leaves. Very refreshing and won't give you a hangover.
As for your teddy bears and other kids, they would love a drink of a cloudy lemonade with ice topped up with the elderflower cordial.
What do you like to eat on a picnic? Pies, potato salad, sandwiches? I always enjoy a good old tub of hummus with crudites, and plenty of crisps.
If you are a crisp lover, "Burts Chips, the artisan crisps with the big crunch, is proud to announce the launch of its latest and most adventurous tongue-tingling flavours ever!"
How can you stay indifferent, reading such a pitch?
What do you notice first? Very funky amusing packet design of an apron and hands on hips.
Go on, open the packets!

Red Pepper & Jalapeno flavour has been inspired by the traditional Mexican cuisine, and oh my, it does have a kick. Perfect for any picnic or as part nibbles. I can well imagine it pairs nicely with a mojito.
It is more of an adult flavour. I have offered the crisps to my guys to test, my older son licked the first crisp, made a funny face as he didn't expect it to be so hot, laughed at his own reaction and wanted some more. Eddie, a sensible young man, decided he didn't want them after watching his older brother.

If you prefer more traditional flavours, you can't go wrong with Sea Salt & Malted Vinegar. A British classic, great with dips, and quite addictive as a snack. It's good the packet is not too big (40g). You can also get it in a bigger size packet (150g).

And that's our teddy bears' picnic's sorted. What do you like to have on a picnic?

To find out more about Bottlegreen and Burts, visit Bottlegreendrinks and Burts Chips.

Disclosure: we received a bottle of Bottlegreen and packets of Burt's chips for the purposes of reviewing, all opinions are mine.