Showing posts with label gelatin. Show all posts

Strawberry Ribbon Squares (1975) ★



All I have to say for this one is no. Just no.

Original Recipe:


The Verdict:

The crust was like a buttery rock and stuck to the pan.
The pudding layer was, well, pudding. Goopy and everywhere.
The Jell-O layer was the best part, but the huge chunks of soggy berries were a detriment.


Modernized Recipe:

(From The Jell-O Idea Book)

It's already modernized, but I would advise against making this.
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Under-the-Sea Salad (1931) ★★★


I won't bother giving a history lesson on this recipe, as Yesterdish already has done a stellar job on that front. I'll just summarize by saying the name for this Jell-O salad appeared as early as 1931, but the ingredients are very changeable (see alternative versions here, and here). The recipe does, however, always include lime gelatin. According to Yesterdish, it is possible that this recipe originated from General Foods itself, as it was being advertised by a General Foods employee. The recipe for Under the Sea Salad appearing in a 1931 General Foods Jell-O cookbook is very similar to the version most widely known today - a cream cheese and pear base with a clear lime top. This was reassuring to me, as I really wasn't keen on trying the cabbage or olive versions.


Original Recipe:

  

The Verdict:

It was okay. I wasn't really impressed with the results, and that's not just because I am fail at unmolding Jell-O. I'm not sure I'll finish eating this, and I wouldn't make it again. It didn't really taste bad, but it didn't taste good to me either. My favourite part was the pear chunks in the bottom, because they were fresh and sweet. The rest of it tasted a bit odd, maybe because of the pear juice, salt, and vinegar added to the lime Jell-O. I also discovered that I'm not really a fan of cream cheese unless its sweetened, and although this had Jell-O mixed in, it wasn't very sweet at all. Overall, just kind of "meh", but I gave it 3 stars because it is edible and it more or less turned out as advertised.


Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from The Greater Jell-O Recipe Book)

1 package LIME JELL-O
1 1/2 cups BOILING WATER
1/2 cup PEAR JUICE (reserved from canned pears)
1 teaspoon VINEGAR (or sub. lemon juice)
6 ounces CREAM CHEESE, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon GINGER
2 cups CANNED PEARS, diced

1. Dissolve the Jell-O in the boiling water. When it has dissolved, add the pear juice and vinegar. Pour a 1/2 inch layer in a loaf pan and leave the remainder to mix with the cream cheese later. Put both in the fridge to chill.
2. Once the remaining larger portion of Jell-O is cold and syrupy, place it in a bowl of ice and beat it until it is fluffy and thick like whipped cream. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and ginger.
3. Gently fold the whipped Jell-O into the cream cheese, little by little. Fold in the pears. Pour over the first layer of Jell-O, which should be firm. Let all chill until firm before unmolding.
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Pineapple and Raspberry Neapolitan (1926) ★★★★


Original Recipe:


Dissolve a package of Lemon Jell-O in one-half pint of boiling water and add one-half pint of juice from canned pineapple. When cold whip and then fold in two or three slices of canned pineapple, finely chopped. Turn into round or square mold, filling half full. Dissolve a package of Raspberry Jell-O in a half pint of boiling water, add half a pint of of juice of canned or fresh raspberries, whip, and fold in the berries. Pour into the mold after the Lemon Jell-O has hardened. 
Fresh pineapple should not be used.




The Verdict:

Well, visually, this was a huge disappointment. Which I should have anticipated, because honestly, how could Jell-O get that white and fluffy looking without adding any dairy? However, the "whipping" did make some beautiful bubbles in the Jell-O. I also had a problem with my layers not sticking together, which was interesting. When I tried to unmold my gelatin, the layers separated and the pineapple one even broke a little. Sad times. 
However, taste-wise, this was pretty good! I'm going to give this 4 stars because it was slightly above average. However, I wouldn't make this very often, because it does take a bit of work. The amount of real fruit/fruit juice really masked the fake Jell-O flavouring, which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your preferences, I guess. I really enjoyed the taste. Also, the pineapple added a nice crunch, but the berries did get a bit mushy, which was a tad gross. 

Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from Jell-O recipe booklet, found at Hey, My Mom Used to Make That!)

1 package LEMON JELL-O
1 cup PINEAPPLE JUICE (drained from the canned pineapple, add a little water if needed to reach 1 cup)
3 slices CANNED PINEAPPLE, finely chopped
1 package RASPBERRY JELL-O
1 cup RASPBERRY JUICE
A handful of RASPBERRIES
2 cups BOILING WATER, divided

1. In a mixing bowl (or directly in your mold, if you're lazy like me), dissolve the lemon Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water. When the Jell-O has dissolved, mix in the pineapple juice. When the Jell-O is cooled, beat it with a hand mixer until very frothy. Gently fold in the fruit and let it set completely.
2. Do the same with the raspberry Jell-O, juice, and berries, making sure the pineapple layer is firm before pouring on the raspberry layer.
3. Let the mold set until firm. To unmold it, briefly soak the mold in warm water and invert onto a plate. Garnish with raspberries.
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Jell-O and Chiquita Bananas ★★★



Today's recipe is so simple, but I was really curious about how it would taste.
Bananas and Jell-O. That's it. Nothing else.
It kind of reminds me of something you might see as a dessert recipe in some diet book.

The description of the image suggests that this advertisement was about 30 years old at the time of posting, which would date to the late 1970s. That seems like a good estimate to me.


Original Recipe:



The Verdict:
It tasted like lime Jell-O on bananas. It wasn't bad, but that Jell-O powder is a bit sweet, especially on a banana. If you're really desperate for Jell-O and bananas I guess it's good enough, but otherwise I'd rather just eat a plain banana.
Oh, and I dipped my bananas in the powder because I shuddered at the thought of unevenly distributed Jell-O powder. I mean, look at that picture, some of those bananas don't have a speck of Jell-O on them! They looked neat - almost pretty - after dipping, but the Jell-O quickly absorbed liquid from the banana and became all sticky and wet, which was a bit unappetizing. I gave this three stars for average. It's okay, but I probably wouldn't do it again. Might be fun for kids, though.


Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from Chiquita Banana and Jell-O Advertisement, found at Shelf Life Taste Test)

Ummm, put some Jell-O on a banana. Yup.
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Basic Bavarian (c.1967) ★★★



I really wanted to have a medieval recipe up on the blog yesterday, but alas, it was not to be. Over the weekend we had Little Y's third birthday party and on top of that, our air conditioner broke and we're currently attempting to survive 42 degree weather. Needless to say, there was no way I was turning on an oven or a stove. So, I noticed a distinct lack of gelatin on this blog, and decided to do a gelatin recipe, since it requires no cooking or baking!

This recipe comes from The Joys of Jell-O Brand Gelatin, 9th edition. It seems like all editions of this cookbook are undated, but the introduction states, "Jell-O Gelatin first grandly shimmered its way into American dining rooms in 1897. Just how many brands in your kitchen go back over 70 years?" From this we can deduce that the cookbook was published circa 1967.


Original Recipe:


The Verdict:
This dessert is very rich because of the whipped cream - almost too much so. The strawberry flavour is not strong at all. The added cream also made it a bit less solid than regular gelatin, even after being in the fridge all night. I think it would benefit from a bit of time in the freezer, for a more solid consistency (edit: or just don't make this on a very hot day like I did ;) ). I felt so wrong adding extra sugar to the gelatin powder, but because the whipped cream I used was unsweetened the end result was barely sweet at all! This is pretty good on its own, but I think it would be really good as a filling in a pie, as suggested in the cookbook. I didn't add any fruit, because I didn't have any on hand, but I think it would help cut the intensity of the cream as well. Oh, and my gelatin is a bit spotty because I waited too long to stir in the whipped cream.


Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from The Joys of Jell-O Brand Gelatin, via Eudaemonius)

The original recipe is easy to follow. To unmold your gelatin, go around the outside edge with a wet finger and gently pull it away from the edge. Then set the mold in a container of warm water for a few seconds and invert onto a plate.
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4 Weeks of Yuletide: Recipe Round-up



The blogs I have listed on my sidebar to the right have some great holiday recipes. I've saved you the hassle by going through and compiling them all here in one post. Some of my upcoming yuletide recipe posts will also be from this list.

Hey, My Mom Used to Make That!
For a Perfect Egg Nog (1936)
Old Time Fruit Cake (Undated)
No-Baking Festive Fruit Cake (1957)
JELL-O Gelatin Jigglers (1980s)
Butterscotch Rolled Cookies (Undated)
Holiday Chocolate Butter Cookies (1992)
Butterscotch Yule Log (1967)
Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies (1992)
Hot Dr Pepper (1964)
Campbelled Eggs (Undated)
Midori Melon Liqueur Cocktails (1979)
Jellied Cranberry Salad/Cranberry Noel Dessert/Cranberry Orange Relish (Undated)
Bacardi Rum Cake (1992)
Domino Gingerbread Men (1992)
Le Punch (1979)

Vintage Ads (You may need to join the group to see some entries)
Fruit Cocktail Eggnog Pie (1956?)
Trim-a-Tree Dip (1967)
"Philly" Pate (Undated)
Borden's Egg Nog (1951)
Atora's Tough Guy Christmas Pudding (1961)

Dinner Is Served 1972
Holiday Glogg (1973)

Historic Cookery
New Year's Cake (1796)
Twelfth Cakes (1801)

The Old Foodie
Vintage Christmas Recipes (1553 - 1944)
Christmas Charlotte Russe/Bethlehems (1912)
The Christmas Pudding (1852)
A Chilly Christmas Dinner/Potato Hash (1866)
Christmas Bread (1891/1897)
A Bill of Fare for Christmas Day (1674)
Christmas Guests: Menus for Three Days (1930)/Watercress and Celery Stuffing (1956)
Mince Pies (1868)/Roast Goose (1887)
Plum Pudding (1931)
Creole Coffee Pudding (1944)
Christmas Jelly (1904)
Christmas Ice-Cream Pudding (1951)/Christmas Trees on Ice Cream (1952)
Plum Pudding Glace (1879)
Christmas Cakes for Good Children (1870)
Christmas Ham Recipes (1882 - 1953)
Egg Nogg (1862)

Four Pounds Flour
Another Christmas Cookey (1796)
Charles Dicken's Punch (1847)
A Dollar Christmas Dinner (1878)

Gram's Recipe Box
Vintage Holiday Recipes

The Mid-Century Menu
Snowman Cut-up Cake (1975)
Party Cheese Ball (1971)
Dear Santa Cake (1956)
Pork Cake (1950s)
Chill-and-Bake Cranberry Cake (1961)
Cheezy Beans and Onions/Creamy Pumpkin Pie/Jiffy Quick Dressing/Snappy Sweet Potatoes (1967)
Chocolate Marshmallow Punch (1971)

Researching Food History - Cooking and Dining
Black Cake (1823)/Fruit Cake (1840)/Christmas cake (1919)/Black Cake (1845)

Vintage Recipe Cards
Crispy Gingerbread Cookies (1984)
Candy Cane Cookies (1971)
White Fruitcake (1973)
Quick Holiday Fruitcake (1971)
Christmas Confections (1971)
Country Christmas Bread (1984)
Christmas Cake Cookies (1973)
Steamed Holiday Pudding (1971)
Party Cheese Ball (1973)
Shrimp Christmas Tree/Eggnog/Eggnog Cooler (1977)
Outback Ice Christmas Pudding(1972)
Sleigh Cake (1967)
Santas Whiskers (1979)
Christmas Candle Salad (1958)
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Orange Mallow Frost (1974) ★★★

Can you believe that this is actually the first gelatin recipe I've posted on this blog?! I'm not a huge fan of jello, mostly because of the fake taste and artificial coloring. I could never be as brave as the people who make chicken mousse or lemon vegetable salad with gelatin - ick!
But I do make exceptions every now and then. I had some marshmallows that needed to be used and I thought this recipe sounded kind of yummy, actually.

Original Recipe:
1 3-oz. pkg. orange-flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 pint orange sherbet
1 11-oz. can manderin orange segments, drained
2 cups Kraft Miniature Marshmallows or 20 Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows

 Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add sherbet; stir until dissolved. Chill until almost set; fold in fruit and marshmallows (quarter Jet-Puffed Marshmallows directly into gelatin using scissors dipped in water). Fill 6 dessert dishes; chill until firm. Garnish with additional mandarin orange slices and mint, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

 Variations:
Substitute 1 cup ginger ale for sherbet.
Substitute one of the following for the orange gelatin and sherbet:
lime gelatin and sherbet
lemon gelatin and sherbet
raspberry gelatin and sherbet

The Verdict:
This dessert tastes like orange creamsicle! I wouldn't make this myself, but it was tasty, so I would eat it voluntarily. I liked the freshness of the mandarins, but there were too many marshmallows, especially for that sweet of a gelatin. I would cut the number of marshmallows in half. Mr. Man, on the other hand, spat this out in the sink because of the "soggy marshmallows". I didn't really find them soggy (they were a bit wet of course, but nowhere near soggy or liquified). He did like the gelatin with the oranges, however. I'm giving three stars for average, because it needed tweaking and I wouldn't want to make this myself or eat it very often. It reminds me of something you eat once a year at a summer barbecue.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Kraft found at Hey, My Mom Used to Make That!)

The original recipe is easy to follow.
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