Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

Jiggly, Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

We all have better things to do than make this jelly dessert. I first came across this type of jelly confection when searching for holiday recipes last December. This dessert goes by many names online: broken glass jello, glass block holiday jello, stained glass jello, even mosaic dessert bars.  Some recipes suggest it can be served as the salad course, but I think it's way too sweet for that.  Anyway, I printed off a few different variations for making this jelly and tucked the recipes away figuring there would not be enough time to add this to the Christmas table (and really there were so many sweet things ready to eat that I couldn't justify one more). A few weeks ago I came across the printed recipes and since I had the time and the desire for a dessert, I gave it a try - just for fun.

Keep in mind that this is a jelly dessert, and like all jelly desserts, it takes time to set. Best to make this a day or two in advance.

There is plenty of room for interpretation with this dessert. You can change the vessel you make it in, the colours of the blocks or the shape of the blocks. If you want to see how others have used this jelly, do a Google image search or search Pinterest and be inspired. (And if you're curious about how gelatin works, check out this Knox Gelatin website.) I made my jelly dessert in a large silicon bundt mold, but you could do individual molds, or let it set into fancy dessert glasses, or use a 9" x 13" pan and cut the jelly into squares for serving.  I think using all red jello blocks would make a great Canada Day dessert, especially if you had a maple leaf cookie cutter to cut the blocks. If you try it, let me know and send me a photo, I'd love to see what colours you used. Now, go have some fun.

MA’s Just for Fun Jelly Dessert

4 – 3 ounce or 85 gram boxes of gelatin dessert in your choice of flavours/colours (I used cherry, orange, lime and lemon in the one I photographed)

4 cups boiling water

2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin powder (I used Knox brand)

½ cup cold water

1 ½ cups boiling water

1 ¾ cups sweetened condensed milk (where I live sweetened condensed milk is sold in 300 mL tins, so I had to buy to 2 tins to get the right amount for this dessert)

Make your coloured jelly: For each flavour/colour, dissolve one box of gelatin dessert in one cup of boiling water. Pour each flavour/colour into a separate container that has been very lightly greased. Chill in refrigerator until each is set firmly, at least 3 hours but overnight is best. Cut into blocks or desired shapes.

If you are making your dessert in a jelly mold, lightly grease it so that the dessert will come out easier. I used olive oil on my silicon bundt and wiped out almost all of it before using it to avoid any greasy taste on the dessert.

Jelly blocks placed in lightly greased mold

Place coloured jelly blocks into the pan/mold you are using: 9” x 13” pan, jelly mold, individual dessert glasses or bowls.

Pour completely cooled milky jelly over the blocks

Making the milky jelly: In a large bowl, pour in the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin powder on top and let stand. In about 1 minute, the gelatin will be softened. Add the condensed milk. Stir and cool completely. If you pour this into your mold before it’s cooled, your jelly blocks will be melted by it.

Mixing the milky jelly with the coloured jelly: Pour the cooled white, milky jelly over the jelly blocks and chill overnight.

Unmold and enjoy!

To serve:
If you’ve made your dessert in a pan/mold like I did, unmold the dessert by dipping the pan/mold briefly into warm water and inverting it onto a serving platter.

If you’ve made your dessert in a sheet pan, just cut it into whatever shape you like and serve.

And, if you’ve made the dessert in dessert glasses that don’t need to be unmoulded or cut up, you are ready to go (although I would be tempted to put a dab of whipped cream on top of each dessert)!

Printable Recipe for MA's Just for Fun Jelly Dessert