Agar Agar or Kanten Fruit Jellies (aka Vegan Jello)

Fruit Jellies made with Agar Agar or Kanten

Whew. Tomorrow a new oven gets installed. My cousin bought a double oven. Sweet. I'll be a baking machine in the mornings. But, until then, I'm continuing on my no-bake desserts! Today, more freaking Jello...but this time it is made with agar agar or kanten!

Today, I'm going to my roots for Agar Agar or as it is called in Japanese, Kanten. Oh, Google the term and you'll get lots of info. It's made from seaweed (The Tokyo Foundation has a photo essay). The last time you saw it was probably at the bottom of a petri dish in 8th grade science. You may have seen it in a Japanese restaurant as Anmitsu, a fruit cocktail, red bean and kanten cube dessert.

Agar agar has lots of advantages over gelatin or Jello. First, it doesn't smell like gelatin. When you bloom unflavored Knox gelatin, you know there's gelatin in the room. Second, Agar Agar can withstand warm conditions. Most Asian countries use agar agar and it gets damn hot in the summer. It sets up super fast, even without refrigeration (although I recommend refrigerating your dessert). Since it is made from seaweed, it is vegan and kosher. It's also a "diet" food in Japan. They were on a big kanten craze because it has no calories and lots of fiber...making you feel full. Of course, I add sugar to mine, so don't hop on my diet train.

However, the texture is different! Agar Agar is definitely firmer than Jello - it doesn't giggle or melt on your tongue. Not everyone will like it, but that is their loss. :)

There are a bunch of different products out there. Kanten sticks (found in a Japanese grocery store), agar agar powder and flakes. You need to soak the sticks before use, and I read online that different brands/types might set up different...so I'm making no guarantees on this recipe.

Since I bought my Kanten powder at the Japanese store, the instructions were in Japanese. I photographed the instructions and sent them to my friend, Yuko in Japan to translate! Thanks so much Yuko!! Each envelope has 4 g of powder. I've seen large bags of Agar Agar in the Chinese market too. Everyone says it is crazy expensive in the health food store or vegan section...so you may want to wander into an Asian market if you have one nearby.

By the way, you need to check out Vivienne from Green Cilantro's absolutely beautiful fresh fruit mold - stunning! She's a creative genius! I'm definitely going to try this!

For these treats, here is what I did:
1. Place 2 cups (about 500 cc) of water in a pot.
2. Sprinkle one 4 g envelope of powdered agar agar into the pot.
3. Add 1 cup of sugar (I wasn't adding any fruit juice (a popular option) because I wanted the jelly to be clear...but it was a little too sweet. Sorta like eating firmed up simple syrup. Next time, I'd cut the sugar)
4. Bring to a boil and stir to make sure the agar agar dissolves. Boil for 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour into molds. Remember, agar agar makes things firm up super quick so you need to have everything ready! I used my mini tartlet molds and one ramekin, with fresh raspberries and canned mandarin oranges (my favorite comfort food). I don't use the tartlet shells very often, so it was fun to pull them out!

Christmas Broken Glass Jello

Christmas Broken Glass Jello

I have a thing for Jello. I've loved it since I was a kid. It was early "cooking" - hey, you learn how to measure water and stir! And patience as you waited for the Jello to set. So, I wanted to make a Christmas-themed Jello dish.

And...the oven died or is very sick. It's getting a check up now, so I'm making no-bake items. 

I received this beautiful dish for my birthday from my friend Jessica. And her boyfriend Andy did a great job wrapping the gift! (Andy, your bow was awesome! ;)

For the regular Broken Glass Jello, you use 4 different flavors (3 ounce boxes). For the Christmas one, I used a 6 ounce box of Raspberry and Lime. Here is the full recipe for Broken Glass Jello.

Carefully mix the blocks of Jello in a 9 x 13 pan. I have started to line my pans with a big piece of plastic wrap. This makes it so much easier! I'm able to lift out the fully set Jello onto a cutting board and cut it up. The edges have some "wrinkles" from the plastic wrap, but you can chop that off if you wish.

Let the sweetened condensed milk mixture cool a bit (or you might melt the cubed jello pieces), then pour over the cubes. I like to skim off the bubbles for a cleaner finish, but you don't have to do that.

My co-workers really like Jello too. One person walked into the break room, and shouted "Jello!!" This is a festive, no-bake, super easy recipe that spreads lots of Christmas joy! Recipe here.

Here are some of my other Jello creations. Yeah, I like Jello! :)

Row 1: Valentine's Broken Glass Jello, Candy Corn Jello Bundt, Coffee Jello
Row 2: 5-Layer Jello, Cantaloupe Jello Bundt, Ice Cream Jello
Row 3: Lakers Jello, Easter Jello, Broken Glass Jello

Coffee Jello & Coffee-Break Muffins (Wake Up Care Package)

Question: How can you help friends turn from night people into early morning people?
Answer: Caffeine.

I have some friends who switched their work schedule and now start really early in the morning. By the second day of the new schedule, it looked like everyone just got off a transatlantic flight and had some major jetlag.

So, I made a Wake Up Care Package. Everything with sugar. Everything with caffeine. That's how I roll. Well, that's how I gift.

I made Coffee Jello. Since I first created and posted this recipe, it has been much clicked on and made. And I must say, It. Is. Fantastic. If you are a coffee drinker, you'll like it.

I also made Dorie Greenspan's Coffee-Break Muffins.

The only problem with this care package is that as I was preparing it for delivery, I kept eating the end pieces of the Coffee Jello and had to try one of the muffins (quality control people, quality control). But I don't drink caffeine so I got so. freaking. wired. My heart was racing and I was talking a mile a minute. I already talk fast, so I was like that "vintage" FedEx commercial guy.

Then I got a big headache and remembered why I don't have caffeine. Anyway, make these treats for a friend (who is accustomed to caffeine) as an edible wake up call.

P.S. Come back on Saturday as I lurch toward my 40th birthday. I'll be 39 8/12 and I'll be having another giveaway!

Recipes:
Coffee Jello (blog entry and printable recipe)

Coffee-Break Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (1 stick)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I added)

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Prep 12 muffin cups.
2. In a big bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, making sure there are no lumps.
4. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk the coffee, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. (I used Starbucks VIA (one packet). Since the coffee needs to be cool, I used about 1/3 cup boiling water, mixed til dissolved, and filled it with 2/3 cup cold water.)
5. Add mini chocolate chips. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and, with a whisk, gently but quickly stir to blend; don't overmix.
6. Scoop into muffins. I use an ice cream scoop.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. Transfer pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

National Library Week Day 3: Coffee Jello & Disney Giveaway

Coffee Jello
Yeah, this isn't the stuff you get in the hospital.

It's National Library Week! This is the 2nd annual celebration on my blog. As I say, I'm putting the Librarian in the Food Librarian!

Last month, I had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, and my friend ordered Vietnamese coffee - a combo of espresso and condensed milk. I love Vietnamese coffee, but I can't handle caffeine so I just had a sip. I knew I wanted to make it in Jello form. Right away.

The Japanese also make a coffee jello - sweetened black coffee gelatin cubes or cups. Often, it is served with cream. But I wanted mine all mixed together so it can be served easy-to-eat finger jello style.

I made this with Starbucks VIA (Starbuck's new instant coffee), Knox unflavored gelatin, and sweetened condensed milk. Because the milk is sweetened, I didn't add any additional sugar.

This was a CROWD favorite at the library. My co-workers love all coffee and mocha desserts. I brought it out at 3 pm and it was a perfect pick-me-up! Of course, you can make them with decaffeinated coffee...but the coffee drinkers will just look at you weird and wonder why anyone would do that.

I used mini-cupcake liners to serve the coffee jello. These are about 1-inch squares.

The Librarian Action Figure (modeled after real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl) can eat a whole plate of coffee jello.

All this week, I'm highlighting a library thing (usually a public library thing b/c that's my gig). Today, it's Downloadable Media. My favorite provider is OverDrive. You can download audiobooks and eBooks to your home computer and transfer them to a portable device (such as MP3, iPod, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook). Remember that crazy 30 days of Bundts I did in November? I wouldn't have made it through all that baking and blogging without downloadable audiobooks. Downloadable media is free, easy to use and there are never any overdue fines. See if your library subscribes to OverDrive on their website.

I'm having 5 days of giveaways during National Library Week!

To celebrate Day 3 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
a. Two Disney kitchen towels
b. Two Mickey Mouse shaped egg or small pancake molds

Living in Southern California has some disadvantages (our seasons are: Fire, Flood, and Earthquake) but sooooo many advantages. And one is buying the Disneyland Annual Pass. So, I picked up these cute kitchen Disney-themed items for today's giveaway!

I have a set of the molds and made this last year (post here). Enter the contest so you can greet friends and family with fun shaped food. :)

To enter the Day 3 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline for all contests: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian action figure not included.

Also, don't forget to enter the Day 1 Giveaway: Cookbook and Chef Post-its and Day 2 Giveaway: Loaf Pans. Good luck with the giveaway, make some Coffee Jello, and see you back here tomorrow!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Click here for the printable recipe

Coffee Jello / Coffee Gelatin
1/2 c cold water
2 cups strong coffee, hot. I used two packages of Starbucks Via. The coffee needs to be strong. This isn't the time for Sanka instant. :)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
3 packages of Knox unflavored gelatin

1. Place 1/2 c cold water in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle 3 unflavored gelatin packets over the water. Let sit until the gelatin blooms, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the hot coffee and mix until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
4. Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk.
5. Pour into glass pan. Thickness of finished jello depends on the size of the pan. I used a 7 x 11 pan but a 9 x 13 pan will give you thinner pieces and an 8 x 8 pan will give you thicker pieces.

Note: The combo of coffee and sweetened condensed milk is inspired by Vietnamese coffee. You can probably adapt this to use coffee or espresso, cream and sugar (be sure to dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee and gelatin). I find that 1 packet of unflavored gelatin will firm up 1 1/2 cups of liquid to finger jello "strength" (according to David Lebovitz's "How to Use Gelatin" post you can mold 2 cups with one envelope - but I feel finger jello needs to be stronger).

Valentine's Day Broken Glass Jello

Happy almost Valentine's Day!

Last year, I posted 5-layer Valentine's Jello and it was very popular. But what happens if you want an even easier gelatin treat (or you don't have a level refrig?) Make this very easy version of Broken Glass Jello. You don't even turn on your oven!

You only need a few ingredients from the store: Jello, sweetened condensed milk, and Knox unflavored gelatin. You also need time. I usually make this over a two day period - Make the blocks one night, and finish it the next morning or day.

Normally, I use four different Jello colors (each one a small 3 oz. box of gelatin).
For this Valentine's day jello, I used:
1 - 6 oz (big box) of Cherry Jell-O
1 - 6 oz (big box) of Peach Jell-O

If you are going for the Valentine's colors, you can use Strawberry, Watermelon (this comes out pink), or Raspberry.

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (don't get evaporated milk)

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (that Knox stuff)

Directions: For a 4 color dessert, dissolve each 3 oz box of jello in one cup of boiling water. For this 2-color dessert, dissolve each 6 oz box of Jello in TWO cups boiling water. Pour into a container and chill (overnight is best; chill for at least 4 hours until firm). After chilling the flavors, cut each flavor into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms (just a few minutes), add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. Pour cooled milk mixture over jello. Skim off the bubbles for a nicer finish. Chill overnight. Cut into blocks. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve! Enjoy!

Valentine's Day is also my friend Pam's birthday! Happy Birthday Pam!!!

Other recipes of interest:

Broken Glass Jello (4 colors) with step-by-step photos

5 Layer Valentine Jello

Candy Corn Jello Bundt - Day #13 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 13 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo! I was driving home last night and heard Sir Mix-a-Lot on the radio! Of course, no endorsement is implied...but I really think he'd like a Big Bundt!

Every so often, I check Google Analytics and find that some of my Jello posts still get hits. The Broken Glass Jello and Laker Nation style Stained Glass Jello are most popular. So, I thought I would try to hit a few themes with this creation....Candy Corn Jello Bundt. It's Halloween! It's everyone's favorite Jello! It's Bundt shaped!

A huge shout-out to my co-worker. Everyone at the library knows of my love of the Bundt and Jello. I've been going to Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores looking for vintage Jello molds. One day, after a particularly disappointing weekend (I got sick and had to cancel my trip to San Francisco), I found a beautiful green Tupperwave Jello mold in a bundt shape on my chair. I almost cried. My co-worker was cleaning out her kitchen and gave me her seldom used Jello form! How awesome!

Don't you love how the mold makes these look like little Candy Corns?! How perfect is that?!

If you want, you can also make the orange and yellow layers opaque by tweaking my Easter Jello recipe and adding condensed milk to the layers.

Sure, technically, this Jello mold isn't a "Bundt CAKE", but I hope you let me slide on this one! This mold has a hole in the center...my definition of a Bundt style creation! :)

Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Since there are all different shaped molds, there isn't a real recipe...I'll just tell you what I did. The recipe needs to be adjusted to fit your Jello mold. Mine holds about 5 or 5 1/2 cups of liquid.

The top layer is a sweetened condensed milk mixture. I sprinkled two packages of Knox gelatin onto 1/2 cup cold water. Let that sit for 5 minutes and the gelatin will bloom. Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of water. Combine the gelatin mixture with the 1 cup boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Then pour in 1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk (do not use evaporated milk). Stir completely and pour as much as you need into the mold. I think I used about 2/3 of the mixture and tossed the rest. Yes, probably not very efficient, but I was winging it!

After at least 4 hours in the refrig...longer is probably better, I placed 1 large box (6 ounces) of orange Jello in a glass measuring cup. I added enough boiling water to equal 2 cups of mixture. I stirred until dissolved, let it cool a bit, and poured most of it on top of the white mixture.

After another round in the refrig, I did the same with a large box of lemon Jello and placed it in the mold.

I'm almost half-way. Whew! Come back tomorrow for Day #14 of my 30 Days of Bundt...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. You have it on your calendar, right?!??!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe ideas from the Food Librarian's Jello past:
Broken Glass Jello
Laker Nation style Stained Glass Jello
Easter Jello
Layered Jello

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt

Stained Glass Jello - Laker Nation Style

Game 4 of the NBA Championship is on tonight!

My friend JustJenn made Marbled Lakers Cupcake for Game 2, and that inspired me to show my Los Angeles Lakers spirit.

This is called Broken Glass Jello or Stained Glass Jello. Totally easy to make with boxed jello, Knox unflavored gelatin and sweetened condensed milk...and time.

I've made it with 4 colors before, and you can adapt it in a rainbow of colors.
Originally posted (with directions): Broken Glass Jello

Broken Glass or Stained Glass Jello
(Adapted from JustJenn)

4 small boxes (3 oz. each) of Jell-O or store brand "gelatin dessert" in different colors. (I used 2 boxes of 3 oz. lemon jello and one 6 oz. box of grape)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (don't get evaporated milk)

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (that Knox stuff)

For each flavor, dissolve one box of jello in one cup of boiling water. Pour into a container and chill (overnight is probably best, but I chilled it 3 hours until firm). I had four of these containers of jello.

After chilling the four flavors, cut them into small blocks.

Carefully mix the blocks in a 9 x 13 pan.

In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool. Pour cooled milk mixture over jello. It does help to take the time to skim off any small bubbles that are created when you pour the condensed milk on the jello pieces. Chill overnight.

Cut into blocks or shapes and serve! In this case, serve up and cheer!

By the way, did you hear this NPR Morning Edition piece by Tom Goldman? Anti-Lakers Sentiment Rampant Through NBA Fans. Eeck!! I'm a native Los Angeles gal so the Lakers have always been my team. Please don't hate me for it! :)

Easter Jello

Easter Jello!

Easy Peasy Easter Treat from 3 ingredients and a level refrigerator

My new oven is arriving today! Yippee!

Here is an easy no-bake Easter treat:

1. Jello.
2. Sweetened Condensed Milk.
3. Knox Gelatin.

For each layer:
3 ounces of Jello. (3 oz is a small 4-serving box. Blue and Purple flavors come in larger 6 oz. boxes - I use my scale and weigh out 3 oz or just measure half the package.

1 full or 1/2 package of Knox gelatin. For mine, I used 1 package. Next time, I would decrease this to 1/2 a package. My jello was kinda stiff. It ain't going anywhere. So, it's up to you - I was making up this recipe as I went along.

1 cup boiling water

Mix until totally dissolved.

In a separate glass measuring cup (or bowl), empty 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (don't use evaporated milk, 1 can is about 1 cup of milk). Add enough boiling water to make 2 cups of liquid.

Add 1/2 cup of the milky mixture to the dissolved colored jello.

Pour into pan and let set for about 30 minutes (depending on how much gelatin you use and if you let the mixture cool a bit before pouring). Make sure your refrigerator is level! :)

Continue for other colors. You can make up to 4 layers with the 2 cups of milky mixture.

I used this garnishing tool to make the crinkly cuts. Cute, huh? Picked it up cheap at my local restaurant supply place.

I used blue, purple and green Jello flavors (I think that translates into blueberry, grape and lime, but they all taste the same to me!) I was going to add pink or yellow, but it got too tall and I was tired. :)

Happy Easter to you and your family!

Next week, I hope to make a kosher/vegetarian gelatin with agar agar. Agar Agar is made from seaweed and used in a lot of Asian gelatin desserts (in Japanese cooking, it is called Kanten). Don't know if it'll be Kosher for Passover, but it won't have animal products...unless I make bacon jello (just kidding)! Also, next week is National Library Week so come on back for giveaways and all things library!

Real Housewives of Orange County Pie for You Want Pies with That?

Real Housewives of Orange County Orange Jello Pie

First, let's all have a moment of silence for my oven. It finally died. Unfortunately, it died with a half baked Hummingbird cake inside it that I needed to bring to work. [You know those meltdowns that happen on reality TV competition shows (a la Project Runway) when the contestants are completely sleep-deprived and just crazy? Well, that happened.] I ended up buying some cakes instead. Sigh.

So, I bought a new range/oven today...it should be delivered on Friday. Very plain Maytag. But it has a window in the door so I'll be sitting in front of it for hours I'm sure.

Okay...to the pie! For this month's You Want Pies with That? challenge, the theme is: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Pie. If I had an oven, I was going to go for the Halle raspBerry Pie, but since I had to go with no bake...I went fake bake (with heavy emphasis on the FAKE)!

Presenting the Real Housewives of Orange County Orange Jello Pie. It's fake pie for all those fake boobs! (although the new one with the sick boyfriend 3x her age says hers are real)

The fake bake ingredients:

Keebler graham cracker crust.
Store brand gelatin box of lemon stuff.
"Whipped topping" (store brand Cool Whip stuff) - yes, full of oil and other chemicals.
Artificially flavored Orange gelatin cut into little squares.

I think Michael Pollan would agree that this is totally fake food! And it is perfect for the all the girls with their multiple collagen, botox and silicone injections!

By the way, I may mock but I can't turn away! I promised my friend's daughter that when she goes off to college, we are going to skype about it all the time (if I can figure out how to skype...) So I give you a reality TV salute to the Lifestyles of the Rich and Semi-Famous Housewives of the OC!

*** Edited to Add: OH MY GOSH! I brought this into work and my co-worker asked me about the orange circle on top. I said, "Yeah, It's an Orange for Orange County!" (I'm so clever, I think). But then she said it looked like a nipple!!!! Oh my gosh! That was NOT the intention at all! I'm horrified and feel like Elaine on that Seinfeld episode. So, take your mind out of the gutter, it's an orange piece of jello meant to represent the Orange in Orange County! ***

Check out the other creative pies from the You Want Pies with That? crew! And join in the fun!