Christmas Molds

Here are the molds I made for the office party at work. I have a three layer Jell-O mold with plain cherry, vanilla gelatin, and lime with pears. The other mold is an orange peach agar mold for the vegetarians at work.
Enjoy!
T

Experimenting with Agar

This was my experiment with Agar. I can't say it was a success, but it wasn't really a failure either. But it definitely was a learning experience. I learned that Agar is very clear, much more so than gelatin. And it's perfect to use as a clear casing for fresh fruits. But wherever I read that Agar is a lot stiffer than regular Jell-O, well, perhaps it depends on what brand you're buying, but this box was much more... unstable. My previous experience with Agar has been with coconut gel, which is several times more firm than regular Jell-O, but this particular mix was not that solid. For my under layers, I tried mixing this mix with almond milk, which didn't set up at all. Thus I learned, you don't mess with the ratios when cooking with Agar. And I learned that when trying something new, I should always follow the directions. Not that I ever do... but it's good to be reminded of that once in awhile.
Enjoy!
T

vegan Jell-O

If you don't know what gelatin is really made from, you may not want to know. It's really just as gross as those recipes with the Spam in it because gelatin is basically made from meat. Yes, it's true. So if you a vegetarian, Jell-O may not be the thing for you. But never fear, there are alternatives to gelatin that are almost as gross as collagen derived from animal bones that they make gelatin with. Seaweed! Yes seaweed, it's been used in Asian countries to make Jell-O for years. And it's specifically called Agar. (I'm not sure where to get this yet, but I'm going to try this recipe as soon as I find some.) I heard it can make clear Jell-O and I loved the coconut gel I tried which someone made from it.
Anyhow, I found this recipe from September Pixie and you can try it here.
It's the best looking vegan Jell-O recipe I've found yet... and it's such a pretty color of pink!


Enjoy!
T
(Photo by September Pixie.)