Tết Dessert Assortment (Pandan Coconut Jelly and Sesame Peanut Brittle)

Pandan coconut jelly

• 600 ml Coconut milk
• 70 g Caster sugar
• 6 g Dried agar-agar
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 1 tsp Pandan extract
• ½ tsp Vanilla extract

Sesame-peanut brittle

• 200 g Caster sugar
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 30 g Sesame seeds
• 120 g Roasted peanuts

1. Lightly rinse a small baking dish with cold water and leave it wet; this helps the jelly release cleanly. Set it on a tray so you can move it without sloshing. Keep space in the fridge for the dish to sit flat.
2. Make the jelly: whisk the coconut milk, caster sugar, dried agar-agar and a pinch of fine sea salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking, then boil for 2 minutes to fully activate the agar. Take off the heat and whisk in the pandan extract and vanilla extract.
3. Pour the hot mixture into the prepared dish and tap gently to pop any bubbles. Cool at room temperature until just warm, then refrigerate until fully set. The jelly should feel firm and springy when pressed lightly.
4. While the jelly chills, prepare the brittle: line a baking tray by rinsing it with water and shaking off the excess, then set it near the hob. Put the caster sugar and a pinch of fine sea salt into a clean saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar melts. Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir) and cook until the caramel reaches 150°C (300°F).
5. Immediately stir in the sesame seeds and roasted peanuts until evenly coated. Tip onto the prepared tray and spread quickly with a spatula into a thin, even layer. Leave at room temperature until completely hard and snappy.
6. Turn out the jelly and cut into bite-sized squares. Break the brittle into shards. Serve the pandan coconut jelly squares alongside the sesame-peanut brittle as an assortment.

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