DessertsSummertime Gelatin Dessert Recipes and Tips
Nothing says Summertime like a good old-fashioned gelatin dessert.
As a child, I can remember my grandmother and great aunt competing with each other, to see who could come up with the best dessert for our annual Summer family picnics. I have to admit, my great aunt usually won!
I think gelatin desserts are just as popular now, as they were back then. With such a variety of recipes available today, you could make a gelatin dessert every week for the next 2 years, and never eat the same dessert twice.
To make gelatin desserts, you will need to invest in a gelatin mold. These molds usually have 3 parts: a bottom seal, a top seal and then the ring. A variety of companies make gelatin molds, and they can be easily found in any kitchen shop or department store.
Gelatin Dessert Making Tips
1. Keep your gelatin desserts refrigerated for best results. Letting them sit out for long periods of time, can cause spoilage or melting.
2. Store your desserts in an airtight container to prevent a thick rubbery gelatin skin.
3. You can lightly spray your gelatin mold with non-stick cooking spray to help prevent sticking.
4. Drain all of the liquid from canned fruits before adding them to your gelatin. If you add too much liquid, you can cause your gelatin to not set up properly. If you do decide to use fruit liquid, you will need to decrease the amount of water in your recipe.
5. You can un-mold most gelatin desserts onto a plate or platter lined with fresh lettuce leaves. This makes a nice presentation.
Here are 4 of my favorite recipes.
Pineapple Cream
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 (3 ounce) pkg. lime gelatin
1/2 pint lite cream
1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese
Bring pineapple to boil. Add lime gelatin and stir until dissolved; let cool in pan. Put cream and block of cream cheese into blender. Mix. Combine blender ingredients with the ingredients in pan. Pour into Jel-Ring mold. Chill overnight. Remove seal to un-mold and serve.
Triple Orange Delight
6 oz. pkg. orange jello
2 c. boiling water
1 pint of orange sherbet
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
fresh orange slices for garnishing
Dissolve orange gelatin in boiling water. Add orange sherbet, stir until melted. Add mandarin orange slices. Pour into the Jel-Ring mold and refrigerate until set. Un-mold onto a serving plate; garnish with orange slices.
Cherry Cola Fantasy
1 c. canned pitted cherries, drained
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
6 oz. box cherry gelatin mix
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. crushed pineapple, drained
1 bottle (12 ounce) Cola Soda
Combine cherries, sugar and water; bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Stir in the gelatin mix using a spatula. Add chopped nuts (optional) and crushed pineapples. Mix together, stir in cola. Pour into the Jel-Ring mold and seal. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Un-mold onto a serving plate.
Raspberry Cream
3 oz. pkg. raspberry gelatin
1 c. whipping cream, whipped
10 oz. frozen, thawed, drained raspberries
Dissolve gelatin as directed on package, using 1 cup boiling water and berry juice with cold water to make 1 cup. Chill until almost firm. Beat gelatin until foamy. Fold together whipped gelatin, whipped cream and drained berries. Pour into Jel-Ring mold and refrigerate until firm.