Active Time

　　20 min

　　Total Time

　　8 1/2 hrs

　　For this recipe, the darker and richer the coffee, the better. We made cone-filtered coffee, but it's equally delicious with perked or plunged coffee. If you only have an electric drip coffeemaker, don't use it for this recipe — too much yield is lost to evaporation.

　　Curry powder may seem like a strange addition to the whipped cream topping, but it's absolutely delicious. You won't perceive any curry flavor per se — when combined with the brown sugar it simply lends fullness and depth.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 3 cups

　　

For gelée

6 tablespoons finely ground (for filter) dark-roast coffee

　　2 1/4 cups boiling-hot water plus 1 tablespoon cold water

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from one 1/4-oz envelope)

　　2 teaspoons vanilla

　　

For topping

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

　　1 cup chilled heavy cream

　　Scant 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

　　

Make gelée:

Step 1

Brew ground coffee in a filter-style coffeemaker (not electric) or a sieve lined with a paper filter using 2 cups boiling-hot water.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup hot water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat.

　　

Step 3

Sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water and let soften 1 minute. Stir together hot coffee, sugar syrup, and vanilla in a metal bowl, then add gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved. Chill, covered, until softly set, at least 8 hours.

　　

Make topping:

Step 4

Force brown sugar through a sieve into a bowl, then add cream and curry powder and beat with an electric mixer or a whisk until it just holds soft peaks.

　　

Step 5

Divide gelée among 10 (2- to 4-ounce) cups (such as espresso cups) and top with dollops of whipped cream.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Gelée can be chilled up to 1 day.