Imagine a cold molded dessert for hot times

• By TOMMY SIMMONS
• Advocate food editor
• Published: Jun 19, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

It’s too hot to get worked up about Wall Street’s roller coaster returns, politics at home, Big Brown’s failure to capture the Triple Crown and all other problems great and small. What’s needed is chill time.

Find a cool spot to gather friends and family. Put out chairs, pass something icy to sip and announce that everyone’s assignment for the afternoon is “imagining themselves as bowls of Jell-O gelatin.”

How tense can one be when thinking about shimmying, sliding and slipping through the day? Of course, a few friends and family members might not understand the theme. It’s a good idea to have alternative diversions as well — cards, checkers, Parcheesi, finger paints, a sprinkler, water slide, croquet game.

In addition to iced beverages, serve a cold gelatin dessert. Molded gelatin desserts are easy to make, and doesn’t everyone like them?

Here are a few tips to guarantee molded gelatin success:

• To make sure a gelatin mixture is clear and uniformly set, be careful to completely dissolve the gelatin in boiling water or other boiling liquid before adding the cold water.
• To prepare gelatin for molding, use less water or liquid than the amount called for on the gelatin package. For a 4-serving size package, decrease cold water to Ø cup. For an 8-serving size package, decrease cold water to 1‰ cups. The firmer consistency will result in a less fragile mold, which makes unmolding much simpler.
• For easier unmolding, spray mold with nonstick cooking spray before filling mold.
• To arrange fruits or vegetables in the mold, refrigerate gelatin until thickened. If gelatin is not thick enough, fruits or vegetables may sink or float. The best way to accomplish this is to pour some gelatin into the bottom of the mold (reserve the remainder at room temperature), let the gelatin in the mold chill in the refrigerator until thickened, which takes about 8 minutes. Arrange the fruit or vegetables on top of the thickened gelatin, return to the refrigerator to set the fruits/vegetables arrangement, which takes about 30 minutes, and then pour the reserved room-temperature gelatin over the fruits/vegetables and refrigerate covered with plastic wrap until firm. This multistep assembly adds no more than 30 to 45 minutes to preparation time. To fully set the mold, allow 5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• When ready to unmold, remove the plastic wrap and gently pull gelatin from around edge of mold with moist fingertips. Dip mold in warm water, just to the rim, for about 15 seconds. Lift mold from water, hold upright and shake to loosen gelatin. Place moistened serving plate on top of mold. Invert mold and plate; shake to loosen gelatin. Remove mold and center gelatin on plate. Now, isn’t it gorgeous?

Molded gelatin desserts can remain at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the mold contains a dairy product or mayonnaise, do not let it sit out more than 30 minutes. Store any leftover gelatin mold in the refrigerator.

These two molded dessert recipes are simple to follow and inexpensive to make. Plus, the desserts taste cool, refreshing and fun.