Low-Carb Bubble Tea Jelly Mooncake:
(based off of this recipe for mango coconut jelly mooncakes:
http://foodfashionandfun.com/2016/01/18/coconut-mango-mooncakes/)
http://foodfashionandfun.com/2016/01/18/coconut-mango-mooncakes/)
Milk Tea Cream Filling:
3/4 ts. agar agar powder
1 cup stevia-sweetened half and half (or full cream)
1 black tea bag or 1 tbs. loose-leaf black tea
Mix cool liquid with agar agar until combined, then bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for one minute, stirring. Turn off the heat and add one bag of black tea (one tablespoon of loose tea) and let steep for three minutes, or longer depending on how strong of a tea flavor you prefer. Remove the tea bag or strain out the leaves, and pour the liquid into small round molds (cupcake liners could work) while still hot (agar agar will set at room temperature, while gelatin won't set until chilled). Make sure the molds are small enough to allow the set filling to fit inside the mooncake molds while still leaving enough space for the outer jelly. Allow filling to chill at room temperature or in the fridge until set.
"Brown Sugar" Jelly Outer:
3.75 ts. agar agar powder
2.5 cups liquid (of your choice) sweetened with stevia and flavored with a few drops of molasses
Mix cool liquid with agar agar powder until combined, then bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for one minute. Pour into mooncake molds, filling only 1/4 to 1/3 of the way full. Let set, then add the cooled filling on top. Add the still-warm brown sugar jelly over top to fully immerse the milk tea filling and fill the mooncake molds to the brim. Set at room temperature (30-ish minutes depending on how large the mooncakes are, and how chilly your kitchen is) or in the fridge. Carefully remove and serve. (No need to loosen from molds using heat, agar agar sets much more firmly than gelatin, so it should remove rather easily.)
3/4 ts. agar agar powder
1 cup stevia-sweetened half and half (or full cream)
1 black tea bag or 1 tbs. loose-leaf black tea
Mix cool liquid with agar agar until combined, then bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for one minute, stirring. Turn off the heat and add one bag of black tea (one tablespoon of loose tea) and let steep for three minutes, or longer depending on how strong of a tea flavor you prefer. Remove the tea bag or strain out the leaves, and pour the liquid into small round molds (cupcake liners could work) while still hot (agar agar will set at room temperature, while gelatin won't set until chilled). Make sure the molds are small enough to allow the set filling to fit inside the mooncake molds while still leaving enough space for the outer jelly. Allow filling to chill at room temperature or in the fridge until set.
"Brown Sugar" Jelly Outer:
3.75 ts. agar agar powder
2.5 cups liquid (of your choice) sweetened with stevia and flavored with a few drops of molasses
Mix cool liquid with agar agar powder until combined, then bring to a boil over low heat and simmer for one minute. Pour into mooncake molds, filling only 1/4 to 1/3 of the way full. Let set, then add the cooled filling on top. Add the still-warm brown sugar jelly over top to fully immerse the milk tea filling and fill the mooncake molds to the brim. Set at room temperature (30-ish minutes depending on how large the mooncakes are, and how chilly your kitchen is) or in the fridge. Carefully remove and serve. (No need to loosen from molds using heat, agar agar sets much more firmly than gelatin, so it should remove rather easily.)
Details:
- You can use any sweetener you like here, but since it is not needed for structure or mouthfeel, I recommend stevia because it is lowest in calories. (DO NOT use sucralose/Splenda or aspartame/Equal, google their toxicity)