Currant Kisiel

Once again I caught myself searching for fancy, complicated dessert recipes. I forget that there are also tried and true, familiar recipes that I come back to far too rarely. While looking for a way to use up my currants, I remembered that there's good old kisiel (a Polish fruit jelly dessert, somewhere between a pudding and a thick fruit soup), this time currant kisiel.

Currant Kisiel

Kisiel made from fresh fruit can't even begin to compare to the kind from a powder. And it's so easy to make and sooooo delicious. I served mine with a dollop of plain yogurt and a little cinnamon. You can also use sour cream or vanilla sauce.

Currant Kisiel

If you don't have fresh fruit, use juice. If you want to make a grown-up version of kisiel, you can add a little cherry liqueur or amaretto once the kisiel turns clear.

Instructions - Currant Kisiel:

Wash the fruit and remove the stems. The fastest way for me is with a fork: just pull the tines down the stem to strip off the currants. Put the currants in a small pot, cover with the sugar, and cook covered over low heat until they fall apart and release lots of juice. Press through a sieve or squeeze through cheesecloth. Pour the juice back into the pot and bring to a boil. Mix the potato starch with 100 ml cold water, pour it into the juice, and add a bit more water if needed to make 400 ml of liquid, then cook, stirring constantly, until the kisiel is no longer cloudy and thickens. Remove from the heat and pour into small serving bowls. Let cool, decorate and serve.

Enjoy!