What's the loveliest thing to eat when it's hot, steamy and humid outside? Summer is having a final gasp here, even though at times I think I can smell the first breaths of autumn on the early evening breeze.
When the weather's close and humid like this I love to eat jelly, soft, slippery, cold and sweet. This recipe for Chinese almond jelly, flavoured with sweetened condensed milk, has a fresh and delicate flavour and takes all of five minutes to make. It calls for agar-agar, which you can find easily in Chinese food stores, and almond powder - more difficult to track down but almond essence can be substituted instead. Once cold cut the jelly into little diamonds, pour over some coconut milk and eat it with fresh fruit and a dainty spoon.
Sweet Almond Jelly
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 5g agar-agar strands
- 500ml water
- 100g white sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond powder (substitute 1 tsp almond essence)
- 4 desertspoons condensed milk
- sliced fresh fruit and coconut milk to serve
Method
- heat water and add agar-agar strands, stir until dissolved
- Add sugar, stir until dissolved
- Add almond powder and condensed milk, stir to combine
- Pour into a flat baking tray and refrigerate until firm
- Slice diagonally into small diamond shapes and gently spoon out into a bowl
- Serve with coconut cream or water and sliced fruit
Labels: food, recipes, Shanghai, weather
