Almond tofu or 杏仁豆腐 (xing ren tou fu) is a refreshing dessert and perfect for hot summer day. It is like a Chinese version of Panna Cotta but without the heavy cream.
Although it’s called almond tofu, it is actually not made from almond but sweet apricot seeds instead.
This recipe varies depending on the region. And today, I will show you my simplified version using almond extract and milk.
A fun fact about this dish is that the name doesn’t come from the actual almond. It is called almond tofu because the pronunciation for apricot kernel in mandarin is “Shin Zen” and sounds exactly like almond in mandarin which is also “Shin Zen”
Ingredients
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 tbsp of gelatin powder
- 2 tsp of almond extract
- 1 16-oz fruit cocktail can
You can use whole, low fat or non-fat milk or almond milk for this recipe.
Agar agar powder has a firmer texture and is traditionally used but I use gelatin instead because it creates a smoother texture.
Since I like to eat my almond tofu with fruit cocktail which is already sweetened so I don’t add sugar during the making. You can eat it by itself but a sweeter version would be better so feel free to add in a couple of tablespoons of sugar.
I used an 8 x 8 tray for this recipe but feel free to use any tray available to you.