The first time I tried coffee jelly was during a trip to Japan many years ago and it took but one spoonful of the melt-in-your-mouth jelly drenched in sweet cream for me to be completely enamored. It was all the craze back then, it seemed every bakeshop, restaurant or convenience store in the country sold one version or another. But if you’ve been to Japan, you know everything there is outrageously expensive and prized to the roof. I remember being utterly shocked when I had a very small cup of coffee jelly in a Tokyo coffee shop and my bill was close to $5! And that was way back 1997!
As much as I loved my first taste of the jiggly concoction and wanted more than a teeny weeny container, my cheap butt couldn’t stand the thought of coughing up another $5 for a gelatin dessert I could just as easily and cheaply make at home.
Coffee jelly is indeed one of the quickest and simplest treats you can make. It’s all a matter of dissolving the powdered gelatin in very hot strong coffee, allowing it to cool and firm up, and drizzling the set gelatin with sweetened cream. Seriously, the hardest part of this recipe is the wait!
I like Knox for my coffee jelly and use about 4 cups of strong coffee to achieve the texture I like. Please make sure to check your package instructions on how much is recommended for that particular brand. You can pour the gelatin mixture into a baking dish to harden and then cut into cubes when ready to serve or use individual clear glass cups and top with the cream when gelatin is set to achieve a jellied “cup of coffee” effect. Either way, this coffee jelly is a fun dessert everyone (except the kiddos unless you want them jumping all over the place) is sure to love. Enjoy!
