Valentine's 5-Layer Finger Jello
Strawberry, Cherry and Raspberry Jell-O with milk filling
Strawberry, Cherry and Raspberry Jell-O with milk filling
The other day, I was going through old cookbooks (pretending to clean) and found the 1979 Arlington Elementary School PTA cookbook. You know, those spiral bound, type-written fundraising cookbooks. In other words, the mother lode of nostalgia. (BTW, this wasn't even my elementary school, but somehow I have it...)
I know Utah and many LDS members have a close relationship with Jell-O...highest per capita consumption in SLC and official snack food of Utah! However, I haven't picked up a box of the sugar/gelatin mixture in years. I think Jello was the first thing I remember "baking"! (Whew, I have an answer for the TWD Q&A when my turns comes round).
I made a 5-Layer Valentine's Jello using the three "red" jellos I could find: Strawberry, Cherry and Raspberry. Except I couldn't find my heart shaped cookie cutter! Oh well, you get the idea! :)
This recipe is for a 7-Layer Finger Jello and you can adjust accordingly.
7 Layer Finger Jello
4 pkg. 3 oz Jello (lemon, orange, lime, strawberry)
4 pkg. Knox unflavored gelatin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1. Mix 1 pkg flavored jello with 1/2 pkg of unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Cool to room temp and pour into 9 x 13 glass pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (and make sure your refrig is level!)
3. Repeat for next three flavors. Let jello set. Cut and serve!
Happy Pre-Valentine's Day!
Do you eat your layered Jello by chomping on it, or by splitting the layers? I'm bi-jello and go both ways. :)
I'm not really a fan of jello but I had to comment on how amazing those look! The layers are so perfect!!
ReplyDeleteI can't answer your question because I don't remember ever having the pleasure of eating layered jello. This looks so perfect. I can see how a level fridge would make or break this recipe.
ReplyDeleteNancy
so beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you aren't a professional pastry chef. Everything you make looks insanely gorgeous and I bet it tastes even better.
ReplyDeleteomgosh did you take that picture? it looks so neat!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I just made red Valentine Jello and it involves hearts. Although mine is not layered. Yours is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteI'll get mine posted soon.
Happy Valentine's Day! <3
Hey Mary -
ReplyDeleteWhat are we baking this weekend?
Sumi
That has to be the most perfect looking jello EVER!! I am going to try this but mine won't look like yours does. The photo was perfect! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! I have to try this, I am taking a dish to a Valentine get together and this would be perfect :)
ReplyDeleteoh i love these! my mom used to make them using the colors of the rainbow... so yummy!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's impressive to look at--your layers are so even! We ate a lot of jello as kids, but I seldom buy it these days. I bet my girls would love these, though.
ReplyDeleteSo simple, yet sooooo fabulous! Wow... it doesn't even look like food, it is so perfect!
ReplyDeleteLooks like vintage bake-lite jewelry!
You won't mind if I try, will you!?
I'll wait a while...
Hummmm... leveled fridge huh?
Amazing.
total eye candy! you totally brought childhood memories of my mom making this, and my bros and I ooohing and ahhing over these treats. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the layers! They came out perfect. I also thought the cutouts were a great idea.
ReplyDelete~ingrid
I've never seen anything like that before - but now that you mention LDS and Jello, at the kids school here in Vegas, there is a large percentage of LDS students (but we're not) and now I know why they always bring in the Jello desserts for parties!
ReplyDeleteTalk about food porn! That might be the most amazing photo I have ever seen!
ReplyDeleteI'm from Utah and never had anything like that. Well done!
ReplyDeleteWho knew jello could be so pretty? You did a great job photographing these and they also look tasty. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMichelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
I know Utah has the largest consumption of jello, but trust me, it doesn't usually look that good. I am LDS and I know that there are lots of jokes about jello all the time.
ReplyDeleteThese look like a really fun v-day treat!
Wow! I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteHow fun and very retro. I haven't seen these in years. I remember when they were all the rage.
ReplyDeletewow these look so so nice :) I m saving this recipe
ReplyDeleteHaha, I'm LDS but my family isn't. My mom makes this 7-layer jello for every holiday and I never get tired of it. I love it, especially the white layer.
ReplyDeleteThat looks too perfect to eat! Not even fingerprints!
ReplyDeleteThis may be just the thing for my son's preschool class that I signed up for bringing a "red treat". I've made a 12 layer jello before using as many colors as I could find and layering it with a sour cream mixture. I love the sound of this condensed milk one!
ReplyDeleteI don't like Jello but this is too cool not to LOVE!
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful! I haven't made jello in years!
ReplyDeleteWait, are you Mormon? Holla! I'm LDS (but not Utahn) so I kind of missed the jello train.
ReplyDeleteI love the looks of these! So bright, so playful, so fun.
Liz, No, I'm not LDS, but friends are and I heard about the Jello connection when SLC hosted the Olympics (and the cool green jello Olympic pin). :) - mary the food librarian
ReplyDeleteThat is the coolest thing! I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before. It's so pretty, it almost doesn't look real!
ReplyDeleteBoy, do those look good! And they're so cotten-pickin' cute too :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how perfect your layers came out!
ReplyDeleteThose old Jello cookbooks are fun. Your perfect red and white layers are simply stunning!
ReplyDeleteThis brings back such memories! I used to make this as a teen. It's been ages since I've carefully poured the layers in a pan like that, making sure each was set just enough but not too much before adding the next one. You inspire me to make this long-lost treat once again.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's so pretty! An awesome Jello recipe! Perfect!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Looking great!! I would like to make this type of layer finger red jello on this Valentines Day...
ReplyDeleteI love jello! Looks gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteBe my Valentine! :)
I did this in red white and blue when my daughter was young.
ReplyDeleteIt's really gorgeous with the three shades of red and white.
This is amazing, the photos are stunning as well!!! I like the fact that you added sweetened condensed milk....
ReplyDeletePop Rocks! I'm just laughing, in between gasps of astonished amazement at how you made jello look elegant! (My mom makes a layered jello mold every Thanksgiving, and even though they can be just plain weird, we love hers.)
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous. Poor Jello is so often overlooked, but when it is done well (as your post illustrates) it is a beauty to behold. Your layers and slices are pristine!
ReplyDeleteLove the stripes! You should enter this in DMBLGIT! Very attractive photos!
ReplyDeletei love the vintage look of stripes--- these look so cute!!!
ReplyDeleteI love jello, and these look so fun! The crisp white and red stripes just look festive and inviting. This has been added to my gigantic list of recipes to try
ReplyDeleteThat is really, truly, and frankly one of the most striking desserts I've ever seen.
ReplyDeletemust. make. my own.
Of course you have to split the layers! :)
ReplyDeleteMade the jell-o for 5 year old's class party. So good. I loved the flavor with the condensed milk layers. So fun, too. I ended with a white layer on top, which worked fine, but I love your three red, two white layers. I'm posting this on my blog tonight. Thanks for reminding me about layered Jell-o. Try it with six colors sometime with white in between! (You use a little less white in between each.)
ReplyDeletejust a word of caution if you're making jello in a coldish room- you might want to make the milk mixture in 2 separate batches. while i waited for the other layers to set, my milk mix started to set and get clumpy just sitting on the table.
ReplyDeleteI love red and white foods! Looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteOk - I have to check my 1959 Jello cookbook-lette. I'm sure it has something like this in it. I LOVE your stripes! Hm... lime jello - St. Patrick's day? Thanks for posting such a unique idea!
ReplyDeleteI hate green jello but our family is celebrating St Patties day tomorrow (late) so I am making it all green and white. AND Boy does a level frig make a difference. I have pot holders in there now to level it out. hehe. I love the red colors.
ReplyDeletewhen you say pkg. do u mean envelope or the whole box
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous (December 20, 2009): "One package" is one ENVELOPE of unflavored gelatin (brand name is Knox). The envelope is 1/4 ounce of gelatin. Usually, the Knox box has 4 envelopes in a small box. Sorry for any confusion. - mary
ReplyDeleteHow simple, and yet looks beautiful!!:)
ReplyDeleteThis would be perfect for the Valentine special giveaway I'm hosting on my blog, if you'd be kind enough to participate!:)
http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2010/02/valentine-super-bowl-recipe-carnival.html
so cute I think I might make these for my man for christmas he eats jello by the bowl full!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone makes this you may want to consider using a smaller Pyrex dish (not too much smaller) and letting it sit a little longer to get thicker layers :) Comes out beautiful, can't wait to deliver to my friends!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your ideas and inspiration. I tried it this afternoon with great success. I'm not even a fan of JellO but this is so striking, I had to make it :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mavinkurve/4382783325/
Lovely! I just tried it for the first time, and it turned out beautifully. However, none of my cookie cutters are tall enough for it, so I'll have to satisfy myself with squares.
ReplyDeleteI came across your recipe in a search for something that could be described as "raspberry ice" for a Mary Poppins birthday party. We're doing it at the local Children's Museum, so raspberry sorbet is out, since we won't have a freezer. I made a practice batch of the five-layer jello (raspberry and milk only). My twin daughters, who had never had jello before, refused to try it. :( I was surprised at how tasty it was.
these look GREAT!
ReplyDeleteI remember these jello layers as a kid and have been searching for the recipe as my aunt could not find hers. Thank you! I've just introduced this to my kids and they LOVE it, of course. I'm sending in a batch for my son's birthday celebration at school in lieu of cupcakes and my daughter wants to have a Jello theme party for her fifth birthday :) Can you tell me how you made that pretty flower cut out one?
ReplyDeleteJust surfing ur blog and found so many interesting recipes...am thrilled seeing this colourful jello recipes.....following you....
ReplyDeleteAnonymous #61, Sorry for my late reply... I used a flower metal cookie cutter to cut the Jello. It isn't easy and block are way easier! Thanks for stopping by! :) - mary the food librarian
ReplyDeleteHow completely hilarious that it was under the soups and salads section. It looks amazing.
ReplyDeletelooks like i'm not the only one that thinks these treats look like a great idea!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! I love to make these, I feel like a professional when I finish! Yours look good! Thanks for the recipe! See ya!
ReplyDeleteP.S. The pictures are good, too!
Hey!! Must say these are adorable!! Love them. So colorful.
ReplyDeleteGreets!!
Ok, I'm like you, I haven't made (or eaten) jell-o in years, but seriously, this post has me convinced I need to do both immediately. Too bad jell-o takes more than "immediately" to set up. My kids will love this! Thanks for getting me back into jell-o.
ReplyDeleteThese were a big hit this weekend. I modified the recipe by adding vodka... but they still came out great and layered perfectly!
ReplyDeleteThank for sharing this recipe! My family enjoyed it during the Holidays and they all like it.
ReplyDeletehee hee how cute!! I love the different colors!
ReplyDeleteI make 8 layer jello all the time for my family!!!! It is a pain in the butt but everyone loves it!!!! We make it for our church bazaar luncheon also. Love it with four different flavors and mine is made with skim milk and sugar!!
ReplyDeleteAaaah! I have been looking for a recipe for the white layer for so long...my elementary school friend's mom used to make this all the time for potlucks and I LOVED it!
ReplyDeleteOh, it's been like twenty years since I have had this! Thank you so much!
I made this today and it was a hit with the family. I will have to try some of your other jello recipes.
ReplyDeleteIt's so beautiful that I decided to make it right now! I tried your broken glass jello a month ago and loved it. It's not Valentine's but I have a cute heart shaped cookie cutter I want to try out^^
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the gorgeous recipes and photos!
I love it.So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteso cute! I just made this using your recipe. I made it or my daughter's church class for Valentines Day. She is going to bring these tomorrow for Sunday School along with her homemade cards... she is so excited! It was very time consuming, but tuned out really well. She was even able to cut out the heart shapes herself. After the final jello layer, I let it set up for one hour before attempting to cut it with heart cookie cutters.
ReplyDeleteThank you posting this! I just made it for our Valentines dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteThank you sooooo much for showing me this recipe! I was looking for a product to make for my Food technology class, our theme is 'Edible Gifts'. This is perfect!. Quick and Easy! I can even change the colours to suit the season!
ReplyDeleteI just finished a lovely dinner with friends and served this for dessert while at our summer cottage in Canada. We are all adults; however, this dessert brought out the kid in us and we started playing with the layers as we ate. Thank you for this fun recipe. If possible check that your fridge is level "before" starting the recipe, mine was a bit off.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt always makes this at Christmas time or other family gatherings. She has been making them for years. She makes several different colors so it always comes out like a rainbow! The kids love them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am crazy - but the picture shows 3 red layers but the recipe calls for 4 boxes of Jello. Do you use the milk mixture to make 2 or 3 layers?
ReplyDelete@mjcundiff Hi mjcundiff, Yes, I made a 5 layer jello in the photo, but the recipe is for a 7 layer Jello. You can adjust the recipe to how many layers you want. To see the 7 layer, please visit this post: http://www.foodlibrarian.com/2011/08/7-layer-finger-jello.html Sorry for any confusion. - mary
ReplyDeleteHi I love how this jello looks but I have a question so i choose any flavor I like and then change the color with waterbased food color or it doesn't work like that I would like to make it blue instead of red
ReplyDelete@Anonymous You can't use food coloring to change the color. Please use the blue jello if you want blue, orange jello for orange', etc. Hope this helps!
ReplyDelete