Active Time

　　45 min

　　Total Time

　　3 hr

　　Though this recipe owes a debt to that icon of childhood desserts, Jell-O with whipped cream, the interplay of floral passion fruit and herbal basil is nothing if not elegant.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　

For gelée

1 3/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope)

　　1/4 cup water

　　2 cups passion-fruit nectar (preferably Looza brand)

　　

For cream

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 1/2 cups well-chilled heavy cream

　　1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from another 1/4-oz envelope)

　　2 tablespoons water

　　Garnish: 4 fresh basil leaves (optional)

　　

Special Equipment

1 empty egg carton; 4 (6- to 8-oz) slender clear glasses (not stemmed)

　　

Make gelée:

Step 1

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon passion-fruit nectar at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining nectar.

　　

Step 2

Transfer to a metal bowl and set bowl into a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until gelée is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Put egg carton in a shallow baking pan and arrange glasses in carton, then tilt glasses to a 45-degree angle. Divide gelée among glasses. Carefully transfer pan with glasses to refrigerator and chill until gelée is set, at least 1 hour.

　　

Make cream when gelée has set:

Step 4

Pulse basil, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl and add cream, stirring just until sugar is dissolved.

　　

Step 5

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon basil cream at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining cream. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, pressing hard on solids and then discarding them.

　　

Step 6

Set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cream is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.

　　

Step 7

Holding 1 glass of gelée at a 45-degree angle, slowly fill glass with basil cream, gradually righting glass as filled. Fill remaining glasses in same manner. Chill, covered, until set, at least 1 hour.

　　Cooks' note:

　　Gelées with cream can be chilled up to 2 days.