Ingredients

500 ml mixed berry tea (use your favourite blend)
a little squeeze of lemon juice
one quarter of a teaspoon vanilla powder
one quarter of a teaspoon powdered cloves
5 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 teaspoons powdered agar agar

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the mixed berry tea into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and cloves and stir. Stir in the rice malt syrup and cook for a couple of minutes then add the agar agar, and keep cooking for about 5 minutes, while stirring continuously. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot berry tea mixture into a baking pan (use a steel or ceramic oven pan), then set aside and allow to cool, first at room temperature then in the ridge (at least 2 to 3 hours). When it is cold and completely firm, you can cut the jelly into squares and serve.

Ingredients

For the ‘jelly puddings’

500 ml mixed berry juice (the one I used was a blend of blackcurrant, cranberry, strawberry and raspberry juices)

3 teaspoons agar powder

For the white chocolate sauce

100 g white chocolate (I used vegan white chocolate chips)

half a teaspoon ground cinnamon

200 ml soy milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the mixed berry juice into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the agar and stir until dissolved. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continually to prevent the juice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot juice and agar mixture into small pudding molds. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours. You can unmold the jellies when they are cold and completely firm.

To make the chocolate sauce, pour the soy milk into a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the white chocolate and slowly let it melt while stirring. Once the chocolate has melted, add the ground cinnamon and stir. You don’t want the sauce to overboil. If the mixture is still to liquid, you can add 2 tablespoons water mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Cook for a couple of minutes and when the sauce thickens, it means it’s ready and can be left to cool. If you like the sauce to be runny, you don’t need to add any cornstarch. (You can use this sauce for almost any other kind of dessert, as white chocolate pairs well with so many things… Here, I think the sweetness of the chocolate balances the tangyness of the berries…)

To assemble

Spoon some white chocolate sauce over individual dessert plates. Arrange the jellies on the white chocolate sauce, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

Agar agar, also known as kanten, is an excellent vegetarian substitute for gelatine. This natural gelling agent is obtained from algae or seaweeds and can be used instead of ordinary gelatine of animal origin. I use a lot of agar: to thicken soups and sauces, and to make puddings, jellies, and other desserts like pannacotta. When I don’t feel like having elaborate desserts, agar is the perfect solution for a light but satisfying treat.