Lychee Chia Almond Pudding

We have a favorite easy dessert called Almond Jelly in the Philippines.  We just pour the contents of cans of fruit cocktail into a large beautiful container and add cubes of almond flavored gelatin prepared from Knox unflavored gelatin to which we have added almond extract.  If we want to splurge we put a can or two of lychees.  That is it. The juices from the cans of fruit flavors and sweetens the dessert.  It is a fruit soup that is a dessert.

This pudding is inspired by this dessert and is as simple to prepare.  The chia seeds thicken the juice from the can of lychees.  Almond extract is then added together with almond milk to result in a pudding like dessert.  I decided to use only lychees and to skip the fruit cocktail.  I love the resulting flavor especially from the juice of lychees which also gives the sweetness to the dessert without the addition of sugar.

Lychee Chia Almond Pudding

• 6 tbsp lychee juice from a can  of lychees 
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 4 lychees from a can
• maraschino cherry

Mix the first four ingredients with a fork.  Allow to set.  Place the lychee pieces and cherry on top.