These jellies are little, so I wanted them to have bolder, more intense flavors. I cut down on the sugar because I wanted it to be more about the fruits and spices than just tasting like candy.
The first idea I had was Lime-Coconut with Pinapple. We had some frozen pinapples so I pureed some, added water, agar agar and a little sugar. I also made some agar agar with coconut milk and lime juice. These two are combined to make a great tasting little treat. The lime and pinapple hits you first with the tartness and there's a smooth creamy finish from the coconut milk.
Peach-Rambutan. Rambutans are like lychee, but with a milder flavor. Canned ones are great for these jellies because they have a consistent texture. Canned lychees have tougher bits nearer to where the pits were taken out. I peeled the peach and pureed it, added water and boiled it. As it boiled I skimmed off the bubbles to create a clearer juice. I also added a teeny bit of sugar then the agar agar. This one is very much like what you can get commercially. Peach flavored lychee jellies are very popular, though my version is a little more gentle and less sweet.
Next was something a little more mellow, Chai Tea with Ginger and Pear. For this, I boiled some ginger slices in Chai I brewed earlier. I also added some brown sugar for a deeper sweetness. I originally wanted to add honey, but we were out. I sliced some pears and layered them. After it had cooled and firmed up, I flipped it out of the mold and cut them into squares. The Chai and ginger leave a bit of a spicy feeling on the tongue and the pear gives nice texture and sweetness to this one.
Lastly, I made Strawberry-Kiwi Jellies. I made three seperate parts, one with pureed strawberries, one with pureed kiwis and one with coconut milk. I like these ones best, mostly because they remind me of watermelon with the color. The coconut milk adds a nice creamyness to this otherwise tart dessert. The little crunchy seeds of the kiwi are great for texture.
All of them tasted delicious!
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