The Joys of Jell-O Recipe #5: Mint Julep Dessert

This is the first recipe in JOJ that really worried me. It's the first one that seems, well, a little wacky. While I'm all for mocktails, being a teetotaler myself, I was not convinced that pineapple was the right choice of flavor to substitute for bourbon, and I certainly was not convinced that such a sophisticated cocktail like a mint julep really needed a whipped-cream-and-cherry topping.

But I went ahead regardless, making just a few changes to make the flavors better. Instead of lime Jell-O, I used unflavored gelatin and the juice of two limes (I like things really limey), or about a quarter cup of lime juice. Instead of mint and peppermint extracts, I simmered several fresh mint sprigs* in the water, then steeped more crushed mint in the gelatin mixture once everything was put together. As per the recipe, I did use the pineapple syrup from the can of pineapple rings, but since I was not using a boxed gelatin mix, I added two extra tablespoons of sugar to the mix. Once again I used a whipped cream stabilized with two tablespoons of powdered sugar, piped on top of the gelatin with a sandwich bag with a corner cut out. Lastly, I added one drop of green food coloring to the final mixture because it looked a little sickly without it.

The order of operations for me was slightly different than stated in the recipe. I brought half of the water and the sugar to a simmer, added the mint, let it simmer for a few minutes, then took the mint out. Meanwhile, I mixed the pineapple juice and the rest of the water, let the gelatin bloom in that, and juiced the limes. Once the mint concoction was done, I poured the two mixtures into a bowl and added the lime juice and food coloring. At that point I did a taste test, which I highly recommend, and decided to add more mint. After letting that all steep until it had come to room temperature, I strained out the mint and let the gelatin set up in the refrigerator.

Gelatin looks all sparkly when it's blooming.

This was also the first recipe I have encountered to use the flaked gelatin technique. The idea is that you set up the gelatin like normal until it's completely firm, then run a fork through it a few times to create a flaked texture. Maybe I just wasn't using a very good fork for the purpose or something, but for me it ended up being more granular than flaky, but it did create a new and more interesting texture to the dessert, and breaking it up into little pieces like that does let the gelatin stretch further, which is always nice.

All told, this is my favorite recipe from the book so far, despite my initial skepticism. The lime-pineapple-mint flavor actually works really well, and when piled in with the pineapple and whipped cream, it's simply mouthwatering. The gelatin itself turned out far less sweet than I anticipated, but the flavors were lovely, and the dish was plenty sweet enough for me when mixed with the cream. I would not say that this is an authentic replica of a mint julep by any means, but it is refreshing and different.

Furthermore, the mint julep dessert is incredibly pretty, especially when in an old-fashioned sundae glass like this. Even if you completely restructured the flavors to be more tropical, like omitting the mint and subbing in coconut water for the water, which actually sounds really good, this arrangement looks like a little slice of paradise in a glass. I bet this would also be attractive in an old fashioned glass (the cocktail, not the vintage).

For me, the way I prepared this dish was the ideal way to do it, and a genuinely good dessert, minus one caveat: the gelatin itself. In my experience, if you do not flavor your gelatin mixture enough and you use Knox gelatin, you are left with a gross musty flavor. I thought that with all the extra mint, and all the pineapple juice, and all the lime juice, and all the extra sugar, I would not be able to taste this mustiness. For the most part, I was correct; however, if I got a bite of pure gelatin and was looking for it, I did notice it a bit. I think that if I had used beef gelatin, this would not have been an issue, so that would be my only recommendation on how to change my formula. However, if you like things sweet, I might increase the added sugar to four tablespoons. Perhaps that alone would be enough to cover up the Knox flavor. Also, if you are not a big lime fan, you could easily get by with the juice of one lime for a more subtle citrus flavor.

I thought that since mint is a relative of catnip, my cats would chew on this like they try to chew on all my other plants, but they actually have less than no interest in it.

*If you do not have a mint plant growing, I strongly recommend buying a pack of fresh mint sprigs at the grocery store, rooting one in a glass of water, then planting it in a pot and putting it in a windowsill. Mint grows like crazy--honestly you don't want it growing outside--and does not seem to mind indoor life whatsoever. Plus, it's completely safe to have around curious pets and is fantastic to add to teas/baths/cocktails/water/etc.