5 ingredients:
1 packet Agar jelly net wt. 1.5 oz 42 g (can be found in strand or powder form)
1 litre & 1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon Matcha powder (optional)
50mls Organic coconut cream
100mls Cold brew coffee
Coconut sugar and stevia sugar
Directions:
1. Combine the water and agar and bring to boil, this usually takes about 10 to 15 mins, remove from stove asap. Give the pot a stir to help the agar dissolve evenly. Do not leave on the hot plate as the substance can boil over quickly and you’ll have a sticky mess on your hands. Cool the batch down by placing the whole pot in the sink surrounded by cold water. Do not add cold water to the pot but rather rest the pot in the cold water.
Tip: Be careful not to over stir the mixture as it causes it to cool down and clump up before we’ve had the chance to work our flavours in.
2. Ready your flavoured mixtures. To make coconut stars combine stevia sugar (to taste), 50mls of the cream and 250mls agar mixture which should have cooled a little by now, stir gently, pour into moulds.
3. In another bowl have your cold-brew coffee ready, adding coconut or stevia sugar to taste and mix well before combining with the rest of the agar mixture. Gently pour into moulds.
4. You can pour the mixtures into individual moulds as I did with my coconut stars and coffee hearts or simply into one large bowl to be cut up later.
5. Let the mixtures cool completely before putting into the fridge. It’s ready to eat in about 4 hours. The colder the better I say!
More tips:
To clean any spilt agar jelly, allow it to cool completely before wiping with a damp cloth. This way the agar jelly washes off cleanly rather than sticking to the cloth.
If opting for matcha, dissolve the powder by adding about 10mls of lukewarm water mixing well to ensure all clumps are dissolved. Add 50mls coconut cream and white stevia sugar. Give it a taste and tweak to your liking. Personally, I add only half the coconut cream as I prefer the taste of matcha over the creaminess of the coconut, plus it also has a high-caloric content.
Remember the more you stir the faster the agar sets, so even if your mixture looks marbled, don’t worry as that adds a pretty effect to the agar jelly. The reason we don’t use coconut sugar in the matcha or coconut is because it browns the mixtures. For these flavours, we’re looking for a nice matcha green and smooth coconut white to the desserts. Below is an example of what happens when you don’t blend the matcha evenly and the effects of the agar cooling down. I decided to use the mixture anyway and it went down a treat!
To mix flavours choose your preferred base, mine is the coffee (*follow step 4) then drip the coconut mixture in. Once you’ve dripped the secondary flavour in, it should begin to imbue into the base flavour. If you find it isn’t, as the mixtures have cooled down too much, grab a skewer and gently give it a swirl. Remember you’ll need to work fast as once the agar sets, it clumps up and combining flavours will look like a right royal Eton mess. Been there, done that 😊.
Health and nutritional benefits:
Reported to be rich in micronutrients, but some evidence shows that agar agar can help support regularity, promote satiety and enhance weight loss, giving you plenty of reasons to give this natural thickening agent a shot.
A plant-based product, it is a great vegan alternative to gelatine derived from red algae. Void of flavour and versatile, it can be found in powder, strains or bar form. A popular Japanese product often used in desserts has made its way into the Western food culture; used in soups, sauces and Vegan meals.
In its raw form agar is low in calories and carbohydrates and high in fibre which is a great digestive. The high fibre content adds to the satiety leaving you feeling fuller for longer. Popular in our household during summer, instead of reaching for ice or nice cream, agar is a wonderful alternative. Cool, crisp and clean tasting to sink your teeth into and literally fills you! Also rich in folate, iron, magnesium, manganese and calcium, the benefits are endless!
Happy eating foodies and bon appetit!
Just an amateur writing for a free coffee because I believe it to be an essential food group 