almond jello recipe – use real butter (2024)

almond jello recipe – use real butter (1) Recipe: almond jello dessert

There is snow out there. Oh yes, there is. I can find snow any time of year if I’m willing to climb high enough to get to it. Right now, you don’t have to go very far, but it helps to hop on a bike as some (not all) of the roads leading to the backcountry are clear (but not open to cars yet or ever). It’s the season for the bike-ski or bike-hike or bike-bike and I’m getting better at not crashing into things which is always a desirable skill.


lock (the bikes) and go (hiking)

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marsh marigolds coming up streamside

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plenty of snow and lots of windfall

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I’m spending considerably more time on my bikes of late – both my mountain bike and my indoor trainer (also mountain bike – my engagement mountain bike). With local trails clearing up, we’re trail running in the mornings or evenings when it is a comfortable 45°F. It’s a matter of weeks before the high country trails clear out for hiking and backpacking. It must be spring! Of course it is. The Ass Reduction Plan (ARP) is in full speed. That’s one of the reasons we’ve been consuming fruit like nobody’s business. Well, that and the fact that I just got a Vitamix blender a few weeks ago. While I love my daily smoothie (strawberries, mango, orange, apple, blueberries, grapes, kale, and a little Good Belly and almond milk) I still thoroughly enjoy chewing actual fruit.


lychees, raspberries, oranges, kiwis, pears, grapes

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When I was a kid, my dad would make the occasional Chinese dessert. I think my favorite was almond jello, which everyone served cubed with canned fruit co*cktail and canned mandarin oranges. I’ve made almond jello from the packets you can purchase at Asian grocery stores, but like almost everything else you can buy in a convenient package, it’s pretty straightforward to make your own from scratch.


almond extract, sugar, agar agar, almond milk

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stir agar agar into boiling water until dissolved

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stir in sugar until dissolved

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You can make almond jello with gelatin or agar agar (particularly if you are vegan). Gelatin gives an elastic result – like the jello with which most people are familiar. I found powdered agar agar at my local Whole Foods in the bulk section and the resulting jello was more brittle in that it yields more easily to the teeth and breaks apart with less effort. Agar agar is derived from red algae and commonly used in Asian desserts. My first introduction to it was a refreshing lemony version chilled on ice that my aunt served to me on a sweltering summer day in Pennsylvania.


add almond milk or regular milk

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pour in the almond extract

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I made two versions of this almond jello. The first time around, I used almond milk because dairy can play havoc on my digestion. I found the texture of the jello to be a touch grainy when made with almond milk. It seemed slightly less cohesive when I unmolded the jello or handled it.


i had a lovely copper mold and a standard baking pan ready

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ladling the mixture into the mold

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Agar agar seems to set a lot faster than gelatin. Mine were ready in half the time I would have expected them to set if I had used gelatin. While the jello is chilling, you can prepare the fruit. If you’re happy using fruit co*cktail or other canned fruits, that’s fine. I rather like the idea of cutting up my own version of a fresh fruit co*cktail, with the notable exception of the lychees. It’s hard for me to procure fresh lychees around here as it is, and I think the floral notes from the fruit are a perfect partner to almond jello.


chopped into bite-size pieces

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tossed together

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add the lychee syrup

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When it was time to unmold the almond jello, I only ran into a few glitches with the copper mold. I think it had more to do with the almond milk than the mold though. Once it’s out on your serving vessel, you can garnish it with fruit (i.e. cover up any mishaps) and spoon some of the lychee syrup over it. If you didn’t use canned fruit of any kind, you can easily mix up your own sugar syrup or use fruit juice to pour over the almond jello.


served whole

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Alternatively, you could make the almond jello with regular milk (as opposed to almond milk). I think in the future, this will be my choice because the result is a firmer, more cohesive jello that is also easier to handle. The flavor is also closer to what I grew up eating (probably because it was dairy-based). I poured half of the batch into a baking pan and the other half into little silicone ice cube trays.


cutting traditional squares from the baking pan jello

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pouring lychee syrup

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individual bowl of almond jello and fruit

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The silicone ice cube trays worked beautifully and most of the jellos popped right out without any problems. A few went flying across the room and one or two were crushed when I tried to push them out. Still, the happy shapes would be particularly fun for parties, to serve to kids, or to serve to adults who dig on this sort of thing (me). It adds a nice element of fun to cooling off as the days heat up.


flower-shaped almond jello bites

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here’s a bowl of fun for you

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Almond Jello
[print recipe]
from Chef Chu’s Distinctive Cuisine of China by Lawrence C. C. Chu

2 quarts water
1 oz agar-agar (I measured this to just shy of 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk (you can use almond milk, but I found it to have an inferior texture)
1 oz (2 tbsps) almond extract
fruit of your choice, peeled and/or diced
light syrup (either homemade simple syrup or light syrup from canned fruit)

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil and stir in the agar-agar until it has completely dissolved. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and pour in the milk and the almond extract. Pour the almond jello liquid into a shallow pan, mold, or glasses. Refrigerate until they are firm. To serve, cut the jello into cubes or unmold from molds. Place jello in a dish and top with your choice of fruit and some light sugar syrup. I like an assortment of fresh fruits if possible (in this recipe I used raspberries, kiwi, grapes, pears, oranges), but like to add canned lychees and spoon the lychee light syrup from the can over each bowl. I have traditionally seen almond jello served with fruit co*cktail. Serves 8-10.


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more goodness from the use real butter archives

grass jelly and ai-yu jellychinese almond cookieschinese shaved ice bao bingchinese sweet mung bean popsicles

almond jello recipe – use real butter (27)

April 30th, 2012: 12:25 am
filed under chinese, dairy, dessert, entertaining, fruit, gluten-free, recipes, sweet

almond jello recipe – use real butter (2024)

FAQs

What is almond jello made of? ›

Combine gelatin with boiling water, stirring until dissolved. Stir in sugar, milk, and almond extract. Pour into a 9 inch square pan and refrigerate overnight. Cut into cubes and serve with fruit co*cktail.

Can you use almond milk to make cook and serve pudding? ›

To make Jell-O pudding with almond milk, whisk the Cook & Serve pudding mix into 2 cups of refrigerated unsweetened almond milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and let sit untouched for at least 5 minutes.

What does almond jelly taste like? ›

An iconic offering on any dim sum cart, Almond Jello is at once lightly sweet, ethereal and creamy. Sort of like an Asian panna cotta. I love making it for summer gatherings when you want a little something sweet to end a meal, but not something super heavy.

What ingredient makes Jell-O unique? ›

This is what gives jello its characteristic jiggly, gel-like texture. Jello is primarily made up of gelatin, a protein extracted from the skins and bones of certain animals. The gelatin is dissolved in boiling water and then cooled to form a gelatinous, semi-solid substance.

Does almond jello go bad? ›

Jello. Shelf life: Unopened Jello dry powder mix will last indefinitely while sealed, pre-packaged prepared Jello will last 2-4 months past its “best by” date in the pantry and 12-18 months beyond a “best by” date in the refrigerator.

Why won t instant pudding set with almond milk? ›

Regular instant pudding usually won't set with almond milk because the pudding mix is formulated to work with the specific proteins in cow's milk.

Will Jello instant pudding set with almond milk? ›

Yes, jello pudding will set with almond milk as long as you use the right ratios. For JELL-O Instant Puddings, use 1 1/2 cup cold almond milk. For JELL-O Cook & Serve Pudding with refrigerated almond milks, use 1 1/2 cups of almond milk.

What can I substitute for milk in instant pudding? ›

The base ingredients for most Jell-O brand instant puddings are dairy-free as well as vegan. By using a non-dairy milk such as coconut, almond, or oat milk you keep this simple instant pudding dairy-free/ vegan.

Where did almond jello come from? ›

Almond jello is a popular Chinese dessert that is light and refreshing and a lovely way to end a meal! Incredibly easy to make, it is traditionally served topped with canned fruit, but it's also delicious all by itself! It's a refreshing alternative to heavier sweeter desserts!

Does almond butter taste like marzipan? ›

Does almond butter taste like marzipan? No, I love marzipan but it is 50%-75% sugar and so tastes very sweet. Almond butter does not usually have sugar it does not taste sweet.

Why does almond taste sour? ›

Raw Almonds: Almonds in their raw state naturally contain amygdalin, a chemical compound that breaks down into small amounts of hydrogen cyanide when ingested. The bitterness can be attributed to this compound.

What's the difference between gelatin and Jell-O? ›

Gelatin is a protein made from an animals skin and muscle and cartridge, bones. While Jell-O is made by boiling the gelatin along with a few preservatives added with the powdered Jell-O.

Is almond jelly made from almonds? ›

It's traditionally made by boiling and grinding apricot kernels to extract the milk, which is then prepared with a gelling agent such as agar agar and sugar as a sweetener. However, more recent versions use commercial almond-flavored gelatin mixes or milk and almond extract for ease and convenience.

Is vegan Jell-O the same as regular Jell-O? ›

Jell-O is made from extracting collagen from animal bones. So it will never be vegetarian or vegan. There are some Jell-O-like gel desserts that use agar agar instead of gelatin and those are vegan/vegetarian ( if the other flavorings are vegetarian/vegan.)

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