Opaque Jell-o mold?

I want to make a molded gelatin in a solid color, not clear like regular jello. Can I just add a little milk in place of the cold water and still have it set properly? Any other suggestions, like booze?

Also, I wanted to paint streaks of colored white chocolate on the inside of the mold before pouring the jello. Will the chocolate then unmold with the jello? Or should I just paint streaks with food coloring after it's unmolded? Thanks!

Yup. Plenty of recipes out there with evaporated milk or cream filling in for some of the liquid. You can still find plenty of 2-layer Jellos in cafeteria settings. At one time (decades ago) Jello had a product 1-2-3 which actually separated out to 3 layers (clear on the bottom, milky-hued in the middle and a foamy-textured top).

As for the second part of your question, it's more of a physics problem. Depends on how well the bond with the chocolate forms with the mold. I suspect that if it's dipped in a warm water bath before unmolding your chances of the chocolate staying with the Jello are better, but not guaranteed.

Whipping the gelatine mixture prior to molding will give it a foamy, mostly-opaque appearance. Works pretty well, but you might get some separation of the transparent stuff at the bottom of the mold (top of the final product).

My gut feeling is that chocolate will stick to the mold better than to jello, especially as jello generally needs to flex and stretch a little bit to come out of the mold. The warm water trick should help (I don't think I'd want to oil the mold first).

If the mold has a flat bottom, like a cake pan, I might try parchment paper, on which you can Jackson Pollack colored chocolate to your heart's content, then pour the jello on top. It should peel off after unmolding. I've never done this, but it seems like a sound method.

Booze will keep your gelatin from setting properly.

(remembering runny jello shots from college... eww)

grace

Pie Lady wrote:I want to make a molded gelatin in a solid color, not clear like regular jello. Can I just add a little milk in place of the cold water and still have it set properly? Any other suggestions, like booze?

swine dining wrote:Booze will keep your gelatin from setting properly.

(remembering runny jello shots from college... eww)

grace

That's why I always add Knox gelatine to my jello shots...

swine dining wrote:Booze will keep your gelatin from setting properly.

(remembering runny jello shots from college... eww)

grace

I can't remember the last time I had a runny jello shot...perhaps you were using collegiate-level amounts of booze in them?

The one time I ever made jello shots, I subbed half of the cold water with vodka, and they set up just fine.

The one time I ever made jello shots, I subbed half of the cold water with vodka, and they set up just fine.

I'm embarrassed to admit that it's been many, many more times than "one" for me but, yes, you can easily go up to half the water volume with vodka without affecting the jelling. I use unflavored (and unsweetened) gelatin and dissolve it in 1/2 of the recommended quantity of liquid on the stove. So if I'm making a batch that requires a pint of liquid I'll heat a cup of whatever (grapefruit juice, o.j., lime juice, tomato juice) and dissolve the gelatin in that. I add to that another cup of liquid (either all-vodka or half-vodka and half whatever), pour into little cups and chill.

I've done mojitos, bloody marys, sea breezes, screwdrivers, pretty much covered mini-versions of anything that can be done with a full-size drink. I also reduce the scale of the added "fruit" so each mojito gets finely shredded mint and tiny wedge of a lime slice, the bloody marys get slivers of celery, pickle, olive & jalapeno - the possibilities are endless.

spinynorman99 wrote:I also reduce the scale of the added "fruit" so each mojito gets finely shredded mint and tiny wedge of a lime slice, the bloody marys get slivers of celery, pickle, olive & jalapeno - the possibilities are endless.

These sound fantastic - and you've given me the perfect idea for my contribution to an "end of summer" BBQ we're going to in a couple of weeks!

In addition to borrowing your mojito idea, I'm thinking maybe Pimm's cup (with some of the shredded mint and brunoised apple, strawberry & cuke), and mimosa (of which I can make a non-alcoholic version using sparkling grape juice so our pregnant friend/co-host can enjoy too).

Genius!

De nada. There are two schools of thought on the shot cups. You can buy brittle plastic (usually have a curled-under rim) or flexy plastic (straight rim). I like the flexy because it's easier to get loosen the jello with your tongue. These are also cool but a little pricier:

http://www.ez-squeeze.com/index.php

Not a big expense, but it is a down economy.

Growing up my mom made a mandarin orange jello with orange jello, whipping cream, cream cheese and mandarin oranges. It was pretty good, tasted a bit like a dreamsicle. I think the whipping cream and cream cheese were blended together and then added to the warm orange jello base. Mandarin oranges stirred in later and chilled. It was a pale orange color, opaque not clear and didn't separate into layers like jello 1 2 3. I could find the recipe if you want it.

Hi,

I would imagine you will have the least amount of trouble unmolding a jello mold that has chocolate in it if you temper the chocolate before you paint or pour it into your mold.

I have made a Jello 1-2-3 "like" product. Here's the recipe and some photos:

3/4 cup boiling water
1 package Jello, any flavor (4 serving size)
1/2 cup cold water
Ice cubes
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip (or other frozen dessert topping)

Directions:

Pour boiling water into blender. Add Jello. Cover and blend at low speed until Jello is completely dissolved, about 30 seconds. Combine cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/4 cups. Add to Jello and stir until ice is partially melted. Then add whipped topping; blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into dessert glasses. Chill about 30 minutes. Dessert layers as it chills. Garnish as desired.

Combining Jello and water.


Blending in whipped topping.


Finished product in the bowl.

I hope this helps,

Ms. Ingie

We were supposed to use water??!?

Heh, it was Everclear, and I don't remember the exact proportions. Gee, go figure

Khaopaat wrote:I can't remember the last time I had a runny jello shot...perhaps you were using collegiate-level amounts of booze in them?

The one time I ever made jello shots, I subbed half of the cold water with vodka, and they set up just fine.

Softened ice cream mixed into the jello makes it kind of like a frozen mousse. The thickeners in the ice cream seem to slightly offset the negative gelling effects of alcohol -- but then I was just adding liqueur for flavor, not vodka for its effect. I haven't made this in years, but it was a very easy dessert that seemed more impressive than one might imagine, and could be quite tasty if one mixed flavors well.

To whiten-up/cloud jello molds, when I was little we used full-fat sour cream flavored with a little almond or vanilla extract. There's lots of white jello recipes out there to follow for exact proportions if you need them, but I remember using something like a couple tablespoons or so of flavored sour cream. It adds more oomph than milk (yay milkfat) and tastes surprisingly good.

I miss the Jello 1-2-3 stuff. Maybe I'll try the homemade version.

I am now suitably intrigued by the process of making opaque jello. This link says to use evaporated milk:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/zombies/bb9f/

I think some cooked spaghetti noodles trailing from the severed torso would be a nice touch...

grace

Zombie jello...I could see a couple of those on my Thanksgiving table...crawling towards the turkey!

Pie Lady...pictures?

swine dining wrote:I am now suitably intrigued by the process of making opaque jello. This link says to use evaporated milk:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/zombies/bb9f/
grace

That's actually why I was asking! Only it doesn't say how much to use.

As for the red chocolate striping, I think I'll make a batch of red jello, paint the insides and let it set, then do my thang with the green.

That's hilarious!!!

I'm going to order a mold, too. I think some sort of zombie meat aspic is in my future... or maybe I can use it as a paté mold. Think of the possibilities!

Pie Lady wrote:
That's actually why I was asking! Only it doesn't say how much to use.

As for the red chocolate striping, I think I'll make a batch of red jello, paint the insides and let it set, then do my thang with the green.

Echoing Cynthia, my wife makes a four-layer/flavor Jello dessert with a thin layer of sour cream in between each layer. She substitutes ice cream for some of the hot water. It creates lovely pastel green, yellow, pink, and orange layers which are definitely opaque. Always a big hit.

Years ago I purchased my sister(a physician) the brain jello mold for her birthday. The recipe that came with the mold suggested evaporated milk for an opaque effect. It works quite well when combined with a pinkish jello, say watermelon. Always a big hit on Halloween though I talked her out of using cake frosting to add bridging veins and other details, there is such a think as going too far.

Brain Jello Video...with blood filling.