These elegant but flavourful puddings use agar agar, a vegetarian seaweed-derived alternative to gelatine, to achieve their jelly-like texture. Goes to show that humble vegetables can graduate into very classy desserts that will disappear very quickly at your next gathering! INGREDIENTS 2 cups cubed pumpkin, steamed 1 cup almond milk 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 tbsp coconut nectar or raw maple syrup 1 tsp ground cinnamon powder or allspice 1 tbsp agar agar powder | PREPARATION In a blender, puree the steamed pumpkin with the almond milk and vanilla essence, and add to a saucepan. Add the agar agar powder, mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, stir frequently with a wooden spoon and leave on the heat for 10 minutes to make sure the agar powder has fully dissolved. Stir in coconut nectar or maple syrup and pour into moulds or small ramekins. Let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes and then place the ramekins in the fridge. Use a hot small knife to scrape around the edges very carefully to remove from the mould. Serve with a dash of maple syrup or coconut nectar. |