Almond Dofu Puddings and More

I used to make Almond Dofu which is a store-bought pudding-like Jello that you find in Asian markets. The “Dofu” refers to the tofu like quality of the pudding which is misleading because there is no tofu involved, only agar agar which a vegetarian gelatin substitute made out of seaweed.

My son saw the box at the store the other day and reminisced about it. (It was during his early childhood years) I forgot all about agar agar! It is a great product and will bind foods and you can make puddings, cream, even savory dishes with it like corn pudding….

But here is a healthy version of the Almond Dofu:

• 4 cups unsweetened almond milk

• 4 tablespoons of agar agar flakes

• 2 tablespoons of almond extract

• Sweetener of choice (I used 1 whole dropperful of vanilla stevia)

You have to simmer the above for at least 5 minutes to dissolve flakes. Once it is fully incorporated you can let it rest and it will thicken at room temperature or you can throw it in the fridge to expedite it. I pour my mixture into individual ramekins for portion control.

Want Coconut Pudding? Use coconut milk and coconut extract instead….

How about Chocolate Pudding? Are we sick of it yet?

• 4 cups unsweetened almond milk

• 4 tablespoons of agar agar flakes

• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

• Sweetener of choice

• tiny pinch of seasalt

Of course, I like chocolate puddings with a bit of orange zest so I throw that in too… Just simmer as above and let it rest. But I like to throw it back in the blender when it has thickened to make it lighter and more like whipped chocolate cream (add a couple of tablespoons of water while blending)

BEST TIP FOR PUDDINGS ALL WEEK LONG….You can also keep a stash of the liquid (4 Cups) and agar (4 tablespoons) ratio on hand, already simmered for 5 minutes. Throw it in an ice cube tray in freezer and use a couple of cubes of this gelatin per pudding. Just add in your main flavor ingredient (try fruits like bananas too) and your sweetener of choice. Experiment with extracts. This is a perfect vessel for it.