Candy

Growing up, sweets was something very special. Unlike my parents' generation or older, I actually had sweets fairly regularly. Of course, "regularly" is a very subjective term. I remember having chocolates, candies, even pastries and ice creams. But more likely, I would have some sort of fried dough soaked in stick sugary syrup. "Sugary ears," they were called. There used to be a stand between school and home where I can grab one as a after school snack. Not that I was or am addicted to sweets, but once in a while, it was a nice little treat.

Chinese was/is not known for its sweets. Desert is definitely a western idea. Of all the traditional Chinese "pastry" that I have tasted, very few contained dairy. Almond tofu, it was called, is something that I was introduced to right before I left China. When my aunt made it at home, it was made from a powder. She then added milk, brought it to a broil, chilled, and served. I remember her teaching me how to make not only almond tofu, but chocolate tofu using corn starch as the congealing agent. You can still buy almond tofu powder in Chinese supermarkets, or you can make an almond panna cotta. I have come to the conclusion that they are the same thing. Here is my version:

Almond Panna Cotta

2 cups half and half
1 envelope of gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 Tsp cold water

1. Place the water in medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin over, let gelatin bloom for 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary 1 tsp at a time.
2. Heat the half and half in a small sauce pan until scolding hot.
3. Pour the hot liquid into the bowl containing bloomed gelatin, whisk until all gelatin has dissolved.
4. Add almond extract.
5. Pour the mixture into serving containers, chill the mixture until set and serve.

You can vary the recipe in many ways. Last year, after I gave this recipe to a friend of mine, she made 4 or 5 different flavored ones. If you like something creamier, replace the half and half with heavy cream. If you like something acidic, you can use butter milk or yogurt. If you like something firmer, add more gelatin. There is no rules. I even made a version with butternut squash soup. Well it didn't taste too good, but it worked. You can also spray ramekins with non-stick spray and serve the panna cotta on a plate without a container. The possibilities are endless. The only thing I would like to mention is that if you would like to make lemon and lime flavored panna cotta, use the zest not the juice.