INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

SWEETENED WATER
1. Prepare the sweetened water (see recipe below).
2. Blanch almonds. Place half of them in a blender with water and blend to
a smooth paste.
3. Strain mixture into a bowl through a double thickness of cheesecloth.
Gather up corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze out every last drop of
liquid; then discard residue.
4. Repeat this process with remaining almonds and the second quantity of
water.
5. Break agar-agar in 1-inch sections and place in a saucepan with
remaining water. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until agar-agar
dissolves and begins to thicken. Then stir in almond liquid and cook 1
minute more.
6. Pour the mixture into a shallow rectangular pan. Let cool; then
refrigerate until set. Cut in 1/2-inch cubes or diamond shapes.
7. Transfer to a deep serving dish. Serve with enough sweetened water
poured over so almond cubes float. Garnish with slivered almonds, fresh
strawberries or canned fruit such as mandarin orange sections, pineapple
chunks, lichees or fruit cocktail.
NOTE: This dish has many names--Almond Curd (because it's similar in
consistency to bean curd), Almond Junket, and Almond Lake. It can be
converted to a party punch by cutting the almond curd into finer pieces and
using more of the sweetened water. VARIATIONS:
1. For the sweetened water, substitute the heavy syrup of any canned fruit.
2. In step 2, grind the almonds instead; then bring to a boil with 3 cups
water and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Strain through the cheesecloth as in
step 3. SWEETENED WATER:
1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and cook, stirring,
until dissolved.
2. Let cool; then refrigerate to chill. (Allow about 1/4 cup sweetened
water per serving.) VARIATIONS:
1. For the sugar, use either brown sugar; or about 1/4 pound rock candy.
2. In step 1, also add 1/2 cup light syrup from canned mandarin oranges.
3. After step 1, stir in 1 teaspoon almond extract.
From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded
from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.

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