Amaretto Agar-Agar Jello with Fresh Strawberries

I love the flavor of almonds.  I will add almond extract sometimes instead of vanilla in baking, and love almond flavored beverages.  So, some time ago I ran into an Amaretto-flavored syrup by Flavorganics at  Whole Foods and decided to try it out.  In addition to being organic, it is great that they’re made with evaporated cane juice instead of high fructose corn syrup.  I especially enjoy a spoonful of it in some carbonated water (which I make in my Sodastream that David gave me for Christmas, HUGE fan btw) when I feel like a little splash of soda.

That’s why, when I was looking to make a dessert without chocolate (someone was allergic) I headed over to my bottle of Amaretto syrup and the pile of strawberries threatening to go bad on the counter, and make a vegan Amaretto Agar-Agar Jello with Fresh Strawberries.  It’s simple, refreshing, and a bit more refined than your old-fashioned neon-colored gelatin.

I would also like to take this time to sing a little praises to agar-agar.  Even if it doesn’t freak you out that regular gelatin is derived from collagen inside animal skin and bones, it’s just really cool to me that agar-agar comes from algae.  Also, if you are new to agar-agar, it has a slightly different mouthfeel than gelatin, which must be experienced first-hand.

Check it out!

Amaretto Agar-Agar Jello with Fresh Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tablespoons Agar-Agar

2 1/3 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Amaretto (or other flavor) syrup

Sliced Strawberries to taste

Directions:

Bring the agar-agar, water, and syrup in a pan to a boil.  Send the mixture through a sieve, then pour it into your molds.  I used small ramekins, and put them in the refrigerator until pretty darn gelatinous (at least a few hours).  When I was ready to take them out, I turned them upside down on plates for 5 or 10 minutes, then gently tapped it to get it to plop out.  Place as many strawberries on top as you’d darn like, and enjoy.