| Jell-O Recipes for Thanksgiving |
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Nov. 8, 1999 -- Fruit suspended in fancy molded gelatin is a pretty and easy-to-make addition to holiday tables. Your refrigerator does most of the work. (SHNS photo courtesy The Cincinnati Post.)
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By Carole L. Phillips
Scripps Howard News Service
Secret Jell-O-holics can come out of the closet. There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating the wiggly, jiggly stuff, no matter what cuisine gurus have to say. The fact is most of us have indulged in Jell-O since childhood. A favorite is Jell-O chilled in rectangular baking dishes and cut into bite-sized squares. Children love gelatin made with reduced water so it can be molded and eaten out of hand -- what the Jell-O people call Jigglers. And gelatin still makes a pleasant light dessert after a filling meal. To head us down the road to the holidays, Jell-O brand gelatin, a division of Kraft Foods, created a cookbook, The Joy of Jell-O Molds, full of recipes and tips. Turning liquid gelatin into fanciful shapes goes back to merry old England, where the Duke of Wellington reportedly had a collection of more than 500 molds, according to Cynthia Giorgio, Jell-O spokeswoman. A typical gelatin mold for the duke would include whole fruits, flavored kirsch and brandy. Until the middle of the last century, gelatin was sold in dried sheets that had to be softened before flavors were added. In 1845, Peter Cooper, inventor of the Tom Thumb locomotive, obtained a patent for a gelatin that "required only the addition of hot water to dissolve it, so that it may be poured into molds and when cold will be fit for use." The gelatin still required the addition of flavoring. Then, in 1897, Ms. Giorgio says, Pearle B. Wait, a cough-medicine maker and sometimes carpenter from LeRoy, N.Y., developed a fruit-flavored version, which his wife christened Jell-O. It came in strawberry, raspberry, orange and lemon flavors. Wait tried selling the Jell-O door-to-door but gave up and sold the patent to his neighbor, Francis Woodward. Woodward, with market savvy worthy of the 20th century, sent his well-groomed sales force to parties, fairs, church socials and picnics with free samples and fancy molds, Ms. Giorgio said. He also hired artists to draw "shimmering desserts in his advertising campaign." The country embraced Jell-O, and recipes for gelatin salads and desserts filled whole chapters in cookbooks. In the last couple of decades, many have come to look askance at Jell-O, but the company still sells more than 400 million packages per year, and it is used in 75 percent of American homes, Ms. Giorgio said. So unmold your Jell-O with pride this season; it is an American classic. To help celebrate, Jell-O sent along some recipes. Sparkling Fruit Mold features red and green grapes suspended in white-grape-flavored Jell-O and would be a pretty addition to the Thanksgiving table. Cranberry Cream Cheese Dessert and Raspberry Gift Box are desserts that should be welcome well into December. For Thanksgiving, substitute orange flavored Jell-O for raspberry and cut leaves from a chewy fruit snack roll to decorate. Also looking ahead to the holidays, the Jell-O instant-pudding branch and Cool Whip, another Kraft Foods product, have come up with a pair of no-bake pies. Double Layer Pumpkin Pie is the traditional favorite with a couple of twists, while Chocolate Ribbon Pie sandwiches a layer of pudding between two layers of airy cream cheese for a blending of chocolate and vanilla flavors. Make either or both in just minutes; then let the refrigerator do the work instead of the oven. For the child in all of us, Holiday Jigglers in festive red and green make a perfect snack, especially when made in seasonal shapes. Here's the recipe:
Holiday Jigglers Lightly wipe the inside of molds with a paper towel moistened with vegetable oil or spray with unflavored non-stick cooking spray. Put one 8-ounce package or two 4-ounce packages of Jell-O brand gelatin dessert in a medium bowl (flavors in green and red colors are good for the holidays). Add 1-1/4 cups boiling water, stirring at least 3 minutes, or until completely dissolved. Pour into molds to within 1/8-inch of tops. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until gelatin is firm and does not stick to finger when touched. Lacking molds, make the Jell-O in large baking dishes, filling only about 1/2 inch deep. When set, cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. Cut the leftover "scraps" into bite-sized pieces and serve them mounded in a dish with a dollop of whipped topping.
Sparkling Fruit Mold Recipe courtesy Kraft Foods. Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups boiling water
One 8-oz. or two 4-oz packages Sparkling White Grape Jell-O
2 cups cold ginger ale
1/2 cup each red and green grape halves
One 11-oz can mandarin orange segments, drained Preparation: Stir boiling water into gelatin in a large bowl for at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Gently stir in the cold ginger ale. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Gently stir for 15 seconds. Stir in grapes and oranges. Pour into a 6-cup mold. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Garnish as desired. Store leftover gelatin mold in refrigerator. Serves: 12
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dessert Recipe courtesy Kraft Foods. Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups boiling water
One 8-oz. or two 4-oz. packages cranberry Jell-O
One 16-oz. can whole cranberry sauce
1-1/2 cups cold water
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
One 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. milk
One 12-oz. tub frozen whipped topping, thawed Preparation: Stir boiling water into gelatin in a large bowl for at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Stir in cranberry sauce until melted. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate for about 1-1/4 hours or until the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Meanwhile, mix crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar and butter in a 13-x-9-inch dish. Press firmly onto the bottom of the dish. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and milk in large bowl with a wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spread evenly over crust. Spoon gelatin mixture over cheese layer. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm. Just before serving, spread remaining whipped topping over gelatin. To serve, cut into squares. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator. Serves: 16
Raspberry Gift Box Recipe courtesy Kraft Foods. Ingredients: 2 cups boiling water
One 8-oz. or two 4-oz. packages Jell-O brand raspberry flavor gelatin dessert or any red flavor
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
One 8-ounce tub frozen, whipped topping, thawed
Chewy fruit snack roll Preparation: Stir boiling water into gelatin in a large bowl for at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Stir in ice cream until melted and smooth. Stir in whipped topping with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour into a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Unmold. Garnish with chewy fruit snack to resemble ribbon. Serves: 12
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie Recipe courtesy Kraft Foods. Ingredients: 4-oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tbs. cold milk, divided
1 Tbs. sugar
One 8-oz. tub Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, divided
1 prepared 6- or 9-inch graham-cracker crumb crust
One 16-oz. can prepared pumpkin
Two 4-oz. packages Jell-O vanilla-flavored pudding and pie filling
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves Preparation: Beat cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust. Pour 1 cup cold milk into a large bowl. Add pumpkin, pudding mix and spices and beat with a wire whisk until well mixed. Spread over cream cheese layer in crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours until set. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Serves: 8
Chocolate Ribbon Pie Recipe courtesy Kraft Foods. Ingredients: 4-oz. block cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. plus 2 cups cold milk, divided
One 8-oz. tub Cool Whip frozen whipped topping, divided
1 prepared 6- or 9-inch chocolate flavored crumb crust
Two 4-oz. packages Jell-O chocolate-flavored pudding and pie filling Preparation: Beat cream cheese, sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in a large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in 1/2 of the whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of prepared crust. Pour 2 cups of milk into a large bowl. Add pudding mix and beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Just before serving, spread remaining whipped topping over pudding layer. Garnish with shaved chocolate, if desired. Serves: 8
(Carole L. Philipps is home editor of The Cincinnati Post.)
RESOURCES :
The Joy of Jell-O Molds
Model: 0696209225
Author: By editors of Better Homes and Garden
(October, 1998)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Meredith Books Corp.
Website: www.meredith.com
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