Flavorful and soft pandan pudding is paired with a rich and buttery pudding is simply out of this world. The pudding also has a fun moss-like appearance.
In a saucepan, combine agar agar powder with sugar. Whisk to combine. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine. Strain the batter for smooth consistency
I use an 8-inch round pan. You can use bundt pan , round or square pan, it's up to you. You can even use an individual serving cup
Put this on the stove and turn on the heat over medium-low heat and keep whisking. The "moss" will start to appear. If you want large pieces of moss, you don't have to whisk as often. If you want finer pieces of moss throughout the pudding, whisk more often. Keep the heat at medium-low and when it comes to a simmer, keep cooking for another 2-3 minutes. We want to make sure the agar agar powder dissolves too. The moss will keep appearing. Turn off the heat
How to make sure the moss won't sink to the bottom:
Let it cool down for about 20-25 minutes. You want it to cool down to lukewarm. I measured the temperature and it is about 105-108 F (40-42 C). This is very important to ensure the moss won't sink to the bottom when you pour it into the mold. If you pour it into the mold when it's still hot, all the moss will sink to the bottom and won't evenly dispersed
Pour into the mold:
Carefully pour it into the mold and let it set at room temperature, do not put in the fridge to let it set. If it's too set, the next layer won't attach to it and will separate
Prepare butter pudding layer:
In a bowl, combine egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla extract, and condensed milk. Combine agar agar powder, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a boil and make sure the agar agar powder dissolves. If it doesn't dissolve, your pudding will not set properly
Then ladle spoonful of the agar agar mixture into the yolk mixture and keep whisking. We call this tempering. It's to bring the yolk temperature similar to the agar agar mixture so the yolk won't curdle. Do another 2-3 spoonfuls of agar agar mixture and do the same. After that slowly pour the yolk mixture into the agar agar mixture in the saucepan and continue to whisk and cook over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes and then turn off the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes before pouring into the mold
Finish assembling:
How to ensure the two layers cling to each other:
Have you ever had a layered pudding that separates when you cut them ? here's how to prevent that from happening. The moss layer shouldn't set solid completely. As long as it's firm enough to hold the next layer and you see a thin film formed that doesn't stick to your finger when you touch, even though if it's still slightly wobbly when you gently shake it, you can proceed to pour the next layer
Ladle the butter pudding mixture on top of the moss layer, spoonful by spoonful. Do not pour all of them at once because it will "break" the moss layer underneath. Then let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to let it cool down before transferring to the fridge. Let it continue to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. This pudding tastes better when it's cold
How to unmould the pudding:
You can run a knife on the edge to loosen the pudding from the pan, but this method may not give your a perfect looking pudding as you run a risk of dinging the side of the pudding with the knife. You can wrap a hot towel around the mould for a minute or so and then put a plate on top of the mould and quickly invert it upside down. Give it a few strong taps on the mould and the pudding should gently plop out onto the plate
How to store:
The leftover can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days. Do not freeze.