Almond Pudding with Lychee
When I was a child, my mother used to make this for me whenever I wasn’t feeling well. Asian medicine believes in a balance of yin and yang forces in our body; in other words, there is a hot and cold, a negative and positive. When these forces are out of balance, that’s when we get sick. Almond pudding is believed to be a dessert that has cooling properties and is good to eat when we have a fever or sore throat. This is one of my top 3 favorite desserts of all time.

Makes 1 large Jello mold

Ingredients
1/2 oz Agar Agar powder (plain gelatin powder)
6 cups (~3/4 liter) water
5 cups whole milk
2 cups evaporated milk
1  cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons almond essence
1 cup dark Jamaican rum (optional)
Lychee for garnish


Method

In a large pot, bring the water to a vigorous boil on high heat.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the gelatin powder with a few tablespoons of the hot water to create a thick paste. Add the paste to the boiling water and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour in the milk and evaporated milk, stirring continuously and gently until the mixture comes to a slow boil, approximately 10 minutes or so. Lower the heat to medium and continue stirring.

Add the sugar and stir again until dissolved. Turn off the heat and pour in the almond essence and Jamaican rum, mixing until thoroughly combined. Carefully pour into a pudding mold and allow to cool for 20 minutes or so before refrigerating. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (Alternatively, pour into individual serving bowls).

Before serving, cut into pieces (if using large mold) and garnish with lychee.