The Joys of Jell-O Recipe #9: Marshmallow Parfaits

One of the great things about gelatin is its phenomenal anti-gravity properties, so I took the opportunity to bring a simple Jell-O dessert recipe, in this case the Marshmallow Parfait, into the space age with the tip-set method.

This recipe seems very basic, since you just make regular Jell-O, top it with whipped Jell-O and marshmallows, and then top that with more regular Jell-O. However, I was feeling up for a challenge when I made these, so I put a couple of portions into wine glasses and set them up in the refrigerator to lean against other objects at an angle so the gelatin would set at that angle.

The end result certainly didn't look like in the pictures, but I did get it to work. I think the tip-set method would work better with an all clear Jell-O dish instead of one using whipped Jell-O, because the fuzzy look of the whipped gelatin obscures the fancy angle a bit. It also probably helps to use a slightly less severe angle than I did here.

On top of that, the layering of the gelatin didn't quite work how it should have. For me, the final layer of clear gelatin just sank down underneath the whipped gelatin and marshmallows, so the triple-layer effect didn't actually happen. Maybe it would have if I had whipped the whipped Jell-O more or added more marshmallows? Not sure on that one.

Regardless, I very much enjoyed this recipe even if it wasn't Instagram worthy, as the kids say. I think the strawberry Jell-O flavor is my favorite flavor to stand on its own so far--in this recipe it's practically on its own, anyway. It really tastes like strawberries and has a good sweetness balance, even with the added marshmallows. Beyond that, the marshmallows just melt to foamy goo in the gelatin, which is nice especially as a contrast to the whipped Jell-O, which is also foamy, just in a different way. On the whole this is a basic but very effective gelatin dessert recipe that I daresay would be good with any flavor of gelatin one could want.