serves
14
prep
1 hour
cook
10 minutes
difficulty
Ace
serves
14
people
preparation
1
hour
cooking
10
minutes
difficulty
Ace
level
You will need jelly art tools (see Note).
Ingredients
- 12 g kappa carrageenan (see Note)
- 350 g white sugar
- 50 ml rosewater
Milk colouring
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 65 g white sugar
- 5-6 g kappa carrageenan (see Note)
- good-quality grade natural or artificial food colouring
Chilling time: 2 hours
Instructions
1. For the clear base, place 1.7 litres room temperature water into a saucepan. Stirring continuously, sprinkle the 12g of kappa carrageenan into the water, then stand to bloom for 10 minutes.
2. Place the pan over medium heat and stir for 2-3 minutes or until any lumps have dissolved. Bring to the boil, removing any foam that has formed on the surface. Add the sugar and stir until fully dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater. Strain through a fine sieve into a 20–23 cm round mould until the mixture is about 4 cm deep. Stand until cool, then refrigerate until firm and set.
3. For the milk colouring, place the coconut milk and 600 ml water into a saucepan over medium heat. Combine the sugar and kappa carrageenan in another small bowl. Pour over just enough boiling water to cover, then stir vigorously until it becomes a gel-like mixture. Stir into the coconut milk and cook until the mixture is hot but do not boil. Pour the mixture into as many cups as you have colours, then add the colours and combine well. Place the cups of coloured mixture into a large shallow bowl filled with enough hot water to come half way up the side.
4. Using a syringe draw out the required colour and syringe into the clear base starting from the middle of the flower. Using the desired petal-shaped tool, insert the tool into the base, creating petals, one row at a time, until you reach the desired size of flower. Use a spoon to scrape off the excess coconut milk mixture at the top of the clear jelly and put it back into the cup. When you have completed the jelly art, wipe off any excess milk jelly left at the top. Refrigerate the jelly for another hour or until firm.
5. To serve, gently loosen the edges, then turn out onto a clean work surface and cut into slices.
Note:
• Kappa carrageenan is a vegan thickener and stabiliser made from red seaweed. Available in powdered form from Asian grocers or health food stores. Agar in equal quantities can be used instead.
• Jelly art tools and syringes can be bought in kits online, or at specialty stores and Asian supermarkets. Siew Heng Boon also sells jelly art tools and syringes. Contact her via or .
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
You will need jelly art tools (see Note).
