Osmanthus Jelly (桂花糕)

Ever heard of or tried Osmanthus to make any dessert? Osmanthus is a native plant in warm temperate zone, like Asia. The flower is very small, about 1 cm long with strong fragrance. Chinese people like to make tea and desserts with the tiny dried flowers.

When summers come, all kinds of chilled desserts with Osmanthus would come into place. As for this dessert, Osmanthus Jelly (桂花糕/桂花果凍) is quite popular in Hong Kong, not only because of its fragrance many people like, but also its simple cooking procedures. It is a jelly made from an infusion of dried sweet Osmanthus flowers. The sweet smell of Osmanthus brings up a refreshing feeling in hot weather. It’s quite a unique and charming dessert.

Dried Osmanthus flowers often come in a little bottle, usually available at Asian stores or Chinese herbal shops. This time I used the sugared osmanthus flowers, came in a small packet that can make a double size of the recipe below. In the picture, you’ll notice that I also added a bit of grass jelly, black in colour for garnish. I just felt the bitterness of grass jelly (涼粉/仙草) going so well with the sweet Osmanthus jelly.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Osmanthus sugar
• 90 gm rock sugar, or to taste
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp gelatine powder
• 300 ml hot water

Method:

1. Bring 300 grams of water to boil. Slower heat and dissolve rock sugar completely. Stir in Osmanthus sugar. Remember to taste by yourself and adjust to your own taste. It should be a bit sweeter than your liking in hot syrup. After chilling, it would be less sweet than in hot, and come down to your liking.
2. Sprinkle galantine powder over sugar mixture and stir to combine. Pour into jelly moulds and refrigerate until completely set. The Osmanthus is quite easily settled on the bottom. Use a toothpick to stir well and help the flower spread evenly before placing in your fridge.