A lightly sweetened osmanthus scented jelly studded with goji berries. It is a common dessert at dim sum but we're making it in a koi fish-shaped mold for Chinese New Year!
Makes 4
Ingredients
20 - 25goji berries, pre-soaked in warm water
2tbspdried osmanthus flowers
600ml(2 1/2 cup) hot water
90g(1/4 cup and 3 tbsp) granulated sugar
20ggelatin powder
Instructions
In a small bowl, soak goji berries in warm water for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a medium pot, bring half of the water (300ml) to a boil. Add the dried osmanthus flowers to the hot water and allow to steep for 5 minutes (like you're steeping tea). Transfer the liquid to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pot, add the remaining water (300ml) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Using a ladle or big spoon, transfer a big spoonful of the water into a bowl. Add gelatin powder to the bowl of hot water and stir until gelatin has melted. (Note: don't skip this step and add gelatin powder directly in the big pot of water; this will cause the gelatin to get clumpy and it will not fully dissolve.) Return the gelatin mixture to the pot. Add granulated sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until all the sugar and gelatin has dissolved. Turn off the heat.
Strain the osmanthus flower water into the pot. Add 1/4 of the strained flowers (not all) into the pot. Add goji berries.
Allow your jelly mixture to cool slightly before transferring to the jelly mold. You can speed this process up by using an ice bath for the pot.
Carefully pour the jelly mixture into your mold of choice. Transfer the molds to the fridge and allow the jelly to set fully, about 4 - 5 hours but preferably overnight.
Once the jelly has fully set, dip the mold into hot water for 30 seconds to loosen the jelly from the mold. Flip the mold onto a large plate to release the jelly. Serve chilled.