Annin Tofu is a sweet dessert that you can order in restaurants, especially Chinese restaurants, around the world.  Along with tapioca milk, it is a sweet and creamy dessert that is enjoyed at the end of a meal with some coffee or hot tea.  To me it tastes a bit like a milkshake, but nuttier.

The star ingredient in Annin Tofu is Apricot Kernel powder which can be purchased at Asian Groceries or online. Be sure to get the “Southern Almond Powder” and not a package of almond tofu pre-mix, which contains sugar, milk solids and an emulsifier. There are many scary stories about apricot kernels being poisonous, and like many fruit pits, they do contain some amygdalin which your body can break down into cyanide.  However, the apricot kernel powder you use for desserts uses sweet apricot kernels, which contain much less amygdalin than the raw, bitter kernels that is the subject of much scrutiny. In addition, cooking breaks down amygdalin. I have never heard of anybody getting ill from eating Annin Tofu!

Some Chinese restaurants use Agar Agar instead of gelatin to make it firm and then cut it into squares and serve it in fruit cocktails.

But the version I make is more what you find in Japanese restaurants. The “tofu” is soft and creamy – I use just enough gelatin to hold it together so you can pick it up with a spoon.  If you want a firmer dessert you can double the gelatin in the recipe and the consistency will be more like a mousse or a pudding.

Make sure that when you prepare Annin Tofu you heat the milk and other ingredients while stirring because you do not want to burn the bottom.