Coffee Jelly Cooldown Recipe

When you’re a mom, you have the added ‘privilege’ of sharing everything. Have you ever tried to sneak a snack from your little ones, cringing with every teeniest crinkle of foil packaging from your chips? I have. I swear, it’s like my boys have super hearing, so they can sense the sound of a chip bag opening even from afar. Too bad it doesn’t work when I call them down to do their chores, right?

The thing I love most about this coffee jelly treat is that it is all mine. My kids have not yet developed a taste for this caffeine-laden liquid, so they mostly leave it alone when they see it chilling in the refrigerator. 

A caffeine fix, with a hint of memories 

Aside from that, it’s very easy to prepare—much easier than the trendy Dalgona, anyway. If it’s a caffeine fix I want, I’d rather have something ready in the ref instead of pushing my wrist to the limit. As for the coffee jelly concoction, it is a good pick-me-up, especially as summer is almost here, plus, you can make it ahead of time and keep it handy for later when you need to cool off. 

This is my brother’s recipe, and he would prepare it when he knew I was coming over to visit our mom. With certain restrictions in effect, and the fact that traveling to their home entails some amount of risk on the part of my senior citizen parents, I asked him for the recipe so that I can do it here at home.  

Here’s another connection with home: for this recipe, my brother and I prefer using the instant coffee brand that my grandfather used to drink. The aroma of that coffee brings me back to the time when he would sip his hot brew before taking me to school, so I take the time to savor that step, even for just a little bit. That’s how I can say that you can find nostalgia even in small, simple moments. 

Big Mike’s Coffee Jelly

We like our coffee strong in our household, so for those who feel that they can do with a little less caffeine, they can adjust the amount of instant coffee they put in. For those who want to go hard core, they can also try a barako blend. Sometimes, I give in and use cocoa powder (or their favorite chocolate malt flavoured energy drink) and make choco jelly instead. It still satisfies my sweet tooth along with my parenting instinct to share.  

Ingredients: 

1. 1 pack unflavored gelatin 
2. Water according to gelatin instructions
3. 4 tablespoons of your choice of instant coffee
4. A few drops of vanilla flavouring (optional)
5. 12 tablespoons sugar
6. 1 pack all-purpose cream (250 grams)
7. ¾ cup condensed milk 

Instructions 

1. Prepare your unflavoured gelatin according to package instructions and mix in your 4 tablespoons of instant coffee. Add 12 tablespoons of sugar. You can adjust the amount of sugar you put in according to taste. Mix thoroughly.
2.  Bring your mixture to a boil in a pot and when it is done according to the prescribed time on the package instructions, pour the mixture into an 8x12 tray. Wait for the jelly to set. You can put it in your refrigerator to speed up the process. When it is solid enough, cut it into small cubes and put the cubes in a bowl.
3. To prepare your sweet and creamy sauce, mix together 1 package of all-purpose cream and 3/4 cup can of your condensed milk. Pour your mixture on top of your jelly cubes, add another dollop of cream if you’re feeling extra that day, and enjoy! 

Reference

About The Writer

Maan Pamaraan

Maan Pamaraan is a single mom of four boys who finds fulfilment in her decades-long career as a writer for several publications. When she is not in serious journalist mode, she enjoys sitting in front of her laptop to write light-hearted anecdotes about raising her children along with general observations about life as a working mom. A survivor of an abusive relationship, her current advocacy is also that of lending a sympathetic ear for other women who have found themselves in the same situation.  

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The views and opinions expressed by the writer are his/her own, and does not state or reflect those of Wyeth Nutrition and its principals.