Jelly Slice-Vegan MOFO Day 12

My nan taught me how to bake and sew and knit and many other things. And while I can't remember how to sew or knit, I definitely remember licking the beaters and helping her grease pans at a very young age. I really can't grease a pan without thinking about her.

Toby and I often talk about how often everyone cries on masterchef which we both think is a little over the top, but I do get that emotional family link. My nan installed my love in baking in me and I'm sure that I have inherited my sweet tooth from her. Every week she would bake us a wide range of cakes, cookies and make various other desserts. Now that I think back to it, I really am in awe of her how much she was able to make without ever tiring of it. She even made me a vegan cake based on an old war time recipe when I first went vegan.

When she passed away, we kept all of her handwritten recipes and I only really tried to veganise her banana cake, which my cousin veganised for our wedding. I swear it tastes the same. Last week would have been her 80th birthday if she was still alive, so our family decided to get together and honour her by making desserts that she used to make. I chose to veganise and de-gluten her jelly slice. but had a few issues at each level. At the base level, when I followed the instructions it was way too oily so I had to add more biscuits. At the lemon layer, I added too much sugar to my own condensed milk and added too much agar so it was too solid and at the jelly layer Toby let it set completely before putting it on top so it just looked ugly when I transferred it.


Base (would half this next time)
220 grams of marie biscuits  2 packets of orgran animal crackers

180 grams melted butter margarine


Combine crushed biscuits and margarine and press 25 x 15cm pan. 


Lemon layer
400 grams condensed milk soy evaporated milk (plus 1 cup sugar)

Juice from 2 lemons
2 tablespoons gelatin dissolved in water 1 tablespoon of agar powder


It was late on a Friday night when I decided to make this, so I couldn't go out and buy vegan condensed milk, so I decided to make my own by combining a can of soy evaporated milk and 1 cup sugar over low heat until sugar was absorbed. I then added the lemon juice and agar powder and stirred until it thickened.  Next time I would use less sugar and less agar.

Allow to cool and then place over base.


Jelly
1 packet of red jelly (I used vitarium red jelly)


Make according to packet instructions and then when almost set place on top of lemon layer. Set in fridge for a few hours and then serve by cutting into small pieces.

 

 The lemon layer was definitely too hard and the crust a little too thick but despite all of the little issues, I think it actually tasted fine.The jelly kind of brought it all together.