Almond Cream With Hashima Served In Coconut Recipe

Soak and blend almonds

Place blanched almonds in a heatproof bowl and pour 1 cup hot water over them. Let soak 20 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving a tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Transfer almonds to a blender with 1/2 cup whole milk and blend on high until very smooth, about 1–2 minutes.

Strain almond milk

Strain the blended almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl, pressing/extracting as much liquid as possible. You should have about 3/4 to 1 cup of almond milk concentrate.

Make almond cream base

In a medium saucepan, combine the almond extract (strained almond milk), remaining 1/2 cup whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. Whisk to dissolve sugars. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold milk to make a slurry, then stir into the saucepan.

Cook until thickened

Place saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture just comes to a gentle boil and thickens to a pourable custard consistency (coats the back of a spoon), about 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Let cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour until set.

Soak dried hashima

Rinse the dried hashima quickly under cold running water to remove dust. Place in a bowl with 2 cups cold water and soak for 4–6 hours (or overnight) until fully expanded and soft. The pieces will puff and become gelatinous.

Trim and tear

Drain the soaked hashima and gently squeeze out excess water. Using clean scissors or your fingers, tear any dense lumps into small, strand-like pieces so they have an even texture for serving.

Simmer with sugar

Bring 2 cups fresh water to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan. Add the prepared hashima and 2 tablespoons rock sugar (or light cane sugar). Simmer very gently over low heat for 10–12 minutes until the hashima is fully translucent, soft and has a slightly sticky, plump texture. Do not boil aggressively — keep it at a low simmer to preserve sheen.

Cool and lightly sweeten

Remove from heat and let the hashima cool in its liquid to room temperature. Taste and add a touch more sugar if desired. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Prepare coconut shells

If using whole young coconuts, carefully split them in half lengthwise and reserve the coconut water for another use. Scrape out and reserve the tender coconut meat; chop a small amount (2–3 tbs) to fold into the almond cream if desired. Rinse the shells and pat dry.

Fill shells

Spoon chilled almond cream into each coconut half, filling about two-thirds. If you reserved some chopped coconut meat, fold it gently into the cream before filling for added texture.

Top with hashima

Spoon a generous portion (about 2 tablespoons) of chilled hashima and its syrup onto the center of each almond-cream-filled coconut half. The translucent hashima should sit attractively on the cream.

Garnish and finish

Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds and desiccated coconut over the top. Add a fresh mint leaf to each serving and, if using, a small fleck of edible gold leaf for a luxurious touch. Serve chilled.