Earlier this week my office hosted a Bon Voyage party for one of my coworkers who is moving on to bigger and better things. The party was nautical-themed with little sail boats everywhere. I felt compelled to bust out my Jell-O molds, so I decided, in keeping with the theme, to make a fish-shaped gelatin.
Although very tempted to make a seafood mousse, I decided it was best to make something a bit more appealing. Not everyone likes chilled fish suspended in mayonnaise***
So off to my gelatin cookbooks I went!
I picked up a new cookbook–the Jell-O Pudding Idea Book (1968) and searched for pudding ideas that are moldable.
There is definitely a lot of overlap between the 1963 and 1981 editions of the Joys of Jell-O, so settled on a recipe that can be found in both the gelatin books as well as the Pudding Ideabook—Pastel Dessert
So this was super easy! The result was a lovely pastel green.
Sadly, the fucker wouldn’t budge from the mold. I mean, AT ALL. So we just spooned it out like it was a bowl.
I wonder if it made a difference that I used Cool Whip instead of Dream Whip. Also, the books didn’t note whether instant pudding or regular pudding should be used–and I used instant.
I was very disappointed that my fish was a bust, but it tasted really good! It’s like an extra-creamy lime pudding. The taste is almost exactly like the lime Mr. Misty Freeze from Dairy Queen.
The lime Mr. Misty Freeze was one of my go-tos when I worked at Betty’s Dairy Queen in Zelienople, PA.
As was the red cherry-dipped cone. Which they have just discontinued.
I am very sad. It just isn’t summer without a cherry dip cone.
This just means that I have to go to NYC this summer and track down the Mister Softee truck. I know that Mister Softee would never let me down (also, there are no DQs in Baltimore, anyway).
***I guess people aren’t really down with Jell-O; but don’t knock the seafood Jell-O until you’ve tried it. 107. Seafood Mousse was a surprise success!
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You should have used the cook and serve because you had to cook it.
Went to a 1950s dinner party cooking class just last night. There was, of course, a Jell-O mold involved. I was going to bring my mom's/grandmother's 1950s copper fish mold (Does every Jewish household have one of those? Asking for a friend.) to use, but forgot it on our dining room table. I've found oiling or using Pam in the fish mold helpful in getting stuff out of the nooks and crannies.
Used to serve shrimp mouse shaped in a copper fish mold - everyone mocked its opaque pinkness, yet was never any leftover! De-molding without melting is such a tricky skill have never mastered - maybe worth a deep video tutorial dive. Really enjoy a savory, molded salad.
We had the 1981 edition of the book when I was a kid, and I was obsessed with the Pastel Pudding Dessert. I always made it with instant pudding and never even considered the possibility of the cook-and-serve kind. Never tried to make a mold, though-- just served it from a bowl or put it in individual cups or glasses before it set if I wanted to be fancy.