An easy, impressive-looking dessert. The prep and cook times are easier than they look since I included the time to soak the agar flakes and the time for the dessert to gel.
Ingredients
2¼ c. sweetened almond milk, Trader Joe's or another brand. Trader Joe's has some thickeners in it like xanthan gum which may help thicken the dessert. (2 cups on the stovetop, 2 Tbs. to dissolve the kuzu)
½ tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 c. persimmon pulp from completely soft and ripe Hachiya persimmons, about 2 large persimmons (1/2 cup used in pudding, 1½ cups used separately)
2 Tbs. agar agar flakes
1 Tbs. kuzu
Instructions
Put almond milk and agar flakes in cooking pot, let sit for 20 minutes.
Remove top from persimmon, cut in half, remove any tough or whitish area in the center.
Blend persimmon pulp in blender.
Put persimmon pulp in small bowl.
Heat almond milk/agar mixture on stove, simmer and stir for at least 5 minutes.
Add vanilla and maple syrup, add more to taste. The almond milk I used has sugar as an ingredient already so little sweetening was needed. Your almond milk may have more or less sweetener or vanilla.
Pour the almond milk/agar flake mixture in the blender, divided if necessary to avoid overfilling blender with hot liquid.
Place top firmly on blender, blend.
Return almond milk/agar mixture to pot and simmer for a few more minutes to completely dissolve agar.
Prepare kuzu by stirring and mashing it with a fork in a small bowl with a small amount (around 2 Tbs.) of cool almond milk until dissolved.
Add dissolved kuzu/almond milk mixture to pot.
Stir for a few minutes until the kuzu begins to thicken the almond milk.
Add ½ cup persimmon pulp and whisk together.
Layer remaining persimmon pulp and almond milk mixture in parfait glasses.
Let set in refrigerator for at least one hour.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2012/01/04/gelled-persimmon-parfait-vegan-non-dairy/