Red White & Blue Jello Mold




Ingredients

  • 1 package (3 ounces) berry blue gelatin

  • 2 cups boiling water, divided

  • 2-1/2 cups cold water, divided

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 6 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ~ pound cake

  • 1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

  • 1 cup fresh Strawberries

  • Optional: Whipped topping and additional berries




Directions

  • Dissolve berry blue gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; stir in 1 cup cold water. Add blueberries. Pour into a 3-qt. serving bowl. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

  • In a saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Add cream and sugar; cook and stir over low heat until dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in vanilla. Spoon over blue layer. Add pound cake. Refrigerate until firm.

  • Dissolve strawberry gelatin in remaining hot water; stir in remaining cold water. Add strawberries. Spoon over cream layer. Chill until set. Top with whipped topping and berries if desired.

Tips for a successful Jell-O mold

In order to make a successful Jell-O mold there are some simple tips and tricks:

• First select an appropriate mold. Use a traditional decorative metal or plastic mold. (Glass and ceramic molds are heavy and make unmolding the gelatin more difficult). Also choosing a mold that is the same volume as your recipe, in this case a 7 or 8 cup mold, will make unmolding easier.

• To prepare gelatin for molding use 25% less cold water than the package calls for. For example for a 3 oz package of gelatin, prepare with 1 cup boiling water, but only 3/4 cups of cold water instead of 1 cup as the package calls for. (This adjustment has already been made for this recipe.) Decreasing the water makes the gelatin firmer and therefore less fragile and easier to unmold.

• To suspend or arrange fruits in gelatin, first refrigerate it until thickened to the consistency of raw eggs. When you draw a spoon through it, it should leave a definite impression. If the gelatin is too thin the fruit may sink to the bottom or float to the top. Arrange fruit in a pattern in the bottom of the mold and spoon the thickened gelatin over it. Or stir the fruit into the thickened gelatin to suspended it throughout and spoon mixture into the mold.

• To create layers in your mold it works best to alternate clear and opaque layers as this makes layers distinct and defined. If you create all clear layers of different colors, the layers may be hard to discern as the light passes through the mold. Opaque layers can be created by substituting ice cream, yogurt, sweetened condensed milk (my favorite), whipped topping, or cream cheese for some of the water in the preparation. Refrigerate each layer until the gelatin is set but not firm before adding the next layer. The gelatin should be relatively firm but stick to your fingers when touched. If the lower layer is too firm, the layers will not adhere to each other and may slip apart when unmolded. Each layer mixture should be cool and slightly thickened before pouring it into he mold. A warm mixture could soften the layer below and cause the layers to run together.

With these basic rules and a little creativity one can create almost any kind of mold they imagine. The possibilities are endless!