Nana's Grape Sponge
4 cups home-made grape juice
1/2 cup sugar *or to taste
2 tbsp gelatin
2 egg whites
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
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In a small saucepan place 1/2 cup of juice. Sprinkle with gelatin and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Heat juice and gelatin slowly, stirring until gelatin has completely dissolved. Add sugar and stir well.
In a large bowl place remaining 3 1/2 cupps juice. Pour in hot gelatin mixture. Stir until mixed through and sugar has fully dissolved.
Place bowl in fridge. Check every 30 mins and stir gently to blend in the edges that will set first. Continue until mixture has a consistent gloopy "egg white" consistency.
In a clean bowl beat egg whites with 2 tbsp sugar until firm peaks form.
Gently fold egg whites into juice mixture, adding vanilla - until no trace of white remains.
Pour into a serving bowl or glasses and return to the fridge to set.
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Makes about 5 cups, or 6 servings
To make your own juice place about 6 cups grapes and 2 cups water into a saucepan, cook for about 20 minutes, until grapes are a vibrant fuschia color and skins are bursting.
Pick out large stems and put through a food mill, or wait until it cools and blend well in a blender, then through a strainer pressing to get all the juice out. I don't worry about seeds as the straining process gets any pieces out. You can sweeten now, if you do don't add the sugar to the juice in the recipe. I like my juice for this to be a little thick and pulpy for this recipe - remember the skin and seeds contain valuable nutrients!
You can take this vibrant healthy dessert over the top with a spoonful of Martin Picard's Maple Condensed milk - not healthy, but indescribably delicious
You can find it at Well.ca
https://well.ca/products/au-pied-de-cochon-maple-condensed-milk_188859.html
