Anmitsu

a Japanese summer treat

My mom told me about an anmitsu that she ate in Japan that she really enjoyed. So since it was her birthday soon, I decided to make her this delicious treat! If you didn’t know, anmitsu  is a Japanese desert made with agar jelly topped with an array of delectables such as syrup, fruit, red bean paste, and shiratama dango. It’s so refreshing to eat during the summer! And even though it’s the end of summer, it’s still been pretty hot here in LA.

Ingredients
I used JustOneCookbook’s recipe for the agar jelly found here.

Agar Jelly
2 cups (480 milliliters) water
4 grams (2 teaspoons/1 packet) kanten (agar) powder
2 tablespoons sugar

Syrup
1/2 cup (~100 grams) brown sugar
1/4 cup (~60 milliliters) water

Toppings
Red bean paste
Shiratama dango
Orange
Strawberries
Matcha ice cream

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Directions

1. Syrup
   -Add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water to a pot and heat over high to bring to a boil. Give it a mix to make sure everything is combined. Once boiling, lower the heat to low and continue to simmer for a bit making sure the sugar is fully dissolved and that it has thickened slightly.
   -Allow the syrup to cool completely and store it in a container in the refrigerator.

2. Agar Jelly
   -Add 2 cups water and 1 packet kanten powder to a small pot. Whisk everything together until combined. Heat the pot over high heat until it reaches a hard boil. Once boiling add 2 tablespoons sugar and mix everything together. Then lower the heat to low and allow to simmer for around 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
   -Pour your hot liquid into a glass container (around 8x8 inches). Allow it to cool and then transfer your container into the refrigerator to set for a minimum of 30 minutes.

3. Toppings
   -Prep your toppings by cutting segments out of an orange and cutting your strawberries in half. Prepare your red bean paste and shiratama dango (as seen here).

4. Assembly
   -Remove your agar jelly from the fridge. Use a knife to loosen the jelly from the sides. Flip the jelly onto a cutting board and cut the jelly into cubes. Add some cubes into a bowl.
   -Pour some of your syrup over your cubes of agar jelly. Then top with the red bean paste, matcha ice cream, shiratama dango, and fruit.

5. Enjoy!