1. Prepare the sweetened water (see recipe below).

2. Blanch almonds. Place half of them in a blender with water and blend to a smooth paste.

3. Strain mixture into a bowl through a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather up corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze out every last drop of liquid; then discard residue.

4. Repeat this process with remaining almonds and the second quantity of water.

5. Break agar-agar in 1-inch sections and place in a saucepan with remaining water. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until agar-agar dissolves and begins to thicken. Then stir in almond liquid and cook 1 minute more.

6. Pour the mixture into a shallow rectangular pan. Let cool; then refrigerate until set. Cut in 1/2-inch cubes or diamond shapes.

7. Transfer to a deep serving dish. Serve with enough sweetened water poured over so almond cubes float. Garnish with slivered almonds, fresh strawberries or canned fruit such as mandarin orange sections, pineapple chunks, lichees or fruit cocktail.

consistency to bean curd), Almond Junket, and Almond Lake. It can be converted to a party punch by cutting the almond curd into finer pieces and using more of the sweetened water.

1. For the sweetened water, substitute the heavy syrup of any canned fruit.

2. In step 2, grind the almonds instead; then bring to a boil with 3 cups water and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Strain through the cheesecloth as in step 3. Sweetened Water:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and cook, stirring, until dissolved.

2. Let cool; then refrigerate to chill. (Allow about 1/4 cup sweetened water per serving.)

1. For the sugar, use either brown sugar; or about 1/4 pound rock candy.

2. In step 1, also add 1/2 cup light syrup from canned mandarin oranges.

3. After step 1, stir in 1 teaspoon almond extract.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, Isbn 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.