Espresso Pudding Coffee Jelly Surprise

SURPRISE...!?

IT'S ONLY 75 CALORIES

it's fat free

IT'S FULL O' PROTEIN

with a caffeine kick in the pants.

fabulous PROTEIN-PICK-ME-UP...

much more fun than an energy drink or a calorie/carb filled protein bar.

a pretty little guilt free dessert or a satisfying late night sweet snack attack.

ESPRESSO PUDDING COFFEE JELLY SURPRISE

COFFEE JELLY...jello

3/4 cup cold coffee

1 cup hot  coffee

2 packet plain gelatin

sweeten or flavor coffee to your liking

NOTE...these measurements (1 3/4 cups liquid) make a wiggly jello texture, but DOES cut into cubes.  if you want it just a bit more firm, cut the liquid to 1 1/2 cups total.

ESPRESSO GREEK YOGURT PROTEIN PUDDING

2 cups plain greek yogurt, i use Fage

1 small box sugar/fat free Jello Pudding mix(4 serving size)

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2 big shots of espresso(4 oz), cooled

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional

approx. 1/2 tsp espresso powder.

the espresso powder is optional, but i wanted a stronger espresso flavor.

1/2 cup vanilla protein shake...or milk of choice

put the shake in last as needed to thin to your desired consistency... sometimes i use about 1/4 cup shake.

put the dry ingredients in a small bowl and combine, set aside.  put the yogurt and espresso in a stand mixer and combine on slow then medium.  i used the whisk attachment.  slowly add the dry ingredients.  as noted, add a little protein shake or milk of choice if it seems too thick...don't forget IT WILL THICKEN MORE in the fridge.  TASTE TEST...does it need more espresso flavor...more sweetener? a splash of vanilla?  a sprinkle of cinnamon?

layer the jello cubes and yogurt mixture into cups of choice.  chill in fridge for a few hours.  serve with whipped topping and a few chocolate covered espresso beans.

if you have an Asian market near you, you can save the trouble and buy the "Coffee Jelly" (shown above).  i was unaware that this box was about 9 DOLLARS...my bad...but it was good and i wanted to see what texture and density was in the authentic Japanese style "jelly".  this is what i used in the photos, but i tested out the recipe i have given here on the second batch.

approx. NUTRITION...6 servings

(without whipped cream)

note...coffee should be ZERO calories

75 calories

11 grams protein

7.4 gram carbs

3.1 gram sugar

Vietnamese Coffee Jelly Dessert...easy

super easy, clean and tasty cool dessert for a summer party.

OR...just kick start your day,

maybe brighten a June gloom afternoon...

coffee jelly, or JELLO as we call it, is a popular dessert in Asia.  in Japan they serve it black, slightly sweetened in a cup...or sometimes offer it with ice cream or in milkshakes.  it's even served with student lunches in public schools.  this cute little easy dessert is Vietnamese inspired simply because it is a strong brewed coffee paired with a healthy spoonful of sweetened condensed milk.  my friend Cathy gave me some delicious coffee from her Mother's Pho restaurant (best Pho in Little Saigon)...so i thought i'd use that for this treat.  her preferred brand is Cafe La LLave.

Vietnamese coffee is usually very strong, brewed in a Phin Filter or can be made in a French press for larger quantity.  use a bold flavor...Cafe du Monde is popular with it's chicory flavor, but a nice French or Italian roast will do.  see my post on Vietnamese coffee HERE.

sweetened condensed milk...the most preferred Vietnamese brand would be the Longevity Gold Brand, but good old American Eagle Brand will be just fine.

NOTE about "jelly"...  quite often you will see jellys made with "agar agar", but i prefer the texture of good ol' jello.

VIETNAMESE COFFEE JELLY DESSERT

COFFEE JELLY...jello

1/2 cup cold strong coffee

1 1/4 cup very hot STRONG coffee

2 packet plain gelatin

sweeten or flavor coffee to your liking

put the gelatin into the 1/2 cup cold coffee, wait 5 minutes for gelatin to "bloom".  heat 1 1/4 cups strong coffee to almost boil and pour into cold mixture.  stir to completely dissolve/combine.  lightly, i say lightly spray a square or rectangle vessel of choice.  choose a vessel that will make it easy to cube.  refrigerate until firm and set....a few hours.

NOTE...these measurements (1 3/4 cups liquid) make a wiggly jello texture, but DOES cut into cubes.  i thought this ratio was a perfect texture for this particular dessert, but if you want it just a bit more firm, cut the liquid to 1 1/2 cups total.

TO ASSEMBLE...

cut the jello into 1/2 inch cubes, set aside 

1-2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk at the bottom of cup

put cubes in cup with the condensed milk

whipped cream of choice for topping

cocoa powder for sprinkle

chocolate covered espresso beans to garnish

NOTE...in the morning i like my "jelly treat" a little less sugary.  try a thick vanilla or chocolate protein shake with the coffee jelly cubes.  it's definitely not "Vietnamese" style...BUT it IS a quick fun protein  pick-me-up.

Vanilla Berry Chai Jello Treat

Stained Glass Jello Dessert made healthy...

i know, i know...we've all seen this one before.  commonly known as stained glass jello, but i bet you haven't tried this version.

it's lo-cal, lo-carb...no fat...NO GUILT...

it's FULL OF PROTEIN...and IT'S FUN !!! 

you see this type of jello dessert a lot in the Mexican markets, but it's usually made with sweetened condensed milk and sugary jello......and i've seen many recipes on the Internet all cute and colorful.  here's an example that i found at Mexicanfoodsandmore.com... BUT all the fun colors and flavors of jello are the pre-sugared ones and i don't see myself eating sweetened condensed milk in solid form anytime soon.

so i had a "light bulb moment"

why not use my vanilla protein drink as the milky base and use sugar-free jellos...

better yet...infuse different tea flavors into the colored jellos.

i dug out the Knox gelatin packets i had in the back of the pantry, put my lab-coat on and went to work.

the results have been delicious.  friends love the cute little squares i dole out and it's always a great conversation piece....

"where'd you get that?...what is that?...how'd you make that?...can i have some?..."

always followed by a big smile and a few giggles

this post is not so much a recipe as it is an idea,...

but i have put the ingredients for the treat i made shown in the photos.  you can see how flavors can easily be changed to suit what you have available.  i found that Worldwide Vanilla Pure Protein 21g or 35g protein (found at Trader Joe's) works well for the base and the Isopure (looks like this) Blue berry flavor worked well with it's icy blue color AND it added 40 more grams of protein to the batch.  look for Isopure at a nutrition store.  you could also try Gatorade G2 Icy Blue Berry or something else colorful.  i DID find that Gatorade wasn't as flavorful...Crystal light has some great flavors...cherry pomegranate is great

EASY PROTEIN JELLO TREAT

8 x 8 glass pyrex dish for finished product
2 cups vanilla protein drink
1 lrg box black cherry sugar free Jello (makes 8  1/2 cup servings)
16 oz of ice blue G2 Gatorade
OR 16 oz of Isopure Blueberry Protein drink
OR another flavor sugar free jello, 1 box
1 - 2 Chai tea sachet
dash cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg, ginger

let me suggest a link to a GREAT blog post here at The food Librarian.  Mary has some fabulous photos and perfect instructions on making stained (broken) glass jello.  for an easy protein version, just substitute the condensed milk with the vanilla protein drink...NOTE...DON'T USE WATER...bloom your gelatin in 1 cup cold protein drink then heat in the microwave until completely dissolved then add the other cup protein drink and proceed.
use sugar free jello for the colors.
if you want to get creative or expand your flavors see below...

use chai ice tea for the water when making your colored boxed jello

also i like to add a small (small!) dash of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg to the vanilla protein drink.

if you are using another liquid, such as the Isopure Protein juice, Gatorade or what ever...use 2 gelatin packets for 2 cups of liquid....bloom your gelatin in 1 cup cold liquid for 5 minutes, give it a stir then heat in microwave until dissolved.  no need to boil, but don't walk away 'cuz it can over flow...not good.  stir...when completely dissolved add the other cup liquid and stir...pour into flat dish then refrigerate until completely firm.  cut into cubes....

 and again, refer to this great post/link, The Food Librarian, for finishing the project...i would write it all out, but Mary explains it so well and this would just get too long.

i'm sure you get the drift...it's not rocket science....
although you should win a prize for making it to the end of this post.

go wild with some fabulous flavor combos

i think i'll try something with chocolate protein drink?... next week when i'm done with this one.