The Joys of Jell-O Recipe #1: Hawaiian Dessert

Howdy, Jigglers! At long last I was able to return to the very first recipe in Joys of Jell-O: Hawaiian Dessert. I was planning to do the first recipe first, as I did all the other recipes in numerical order for a good while when I was starting this adventure, but I skipped it due to not having a blender. Now I have a very nice blender, so that and having a leftover can of pineapple finally convinced me that it was time for recipe #1.

When it says that this dish is ready to serve quickly, they aren't kidding. I made the recipe as written, only substituting unflavored gelatin and the juice of one lime for lime Jell-O. If I made this again, though, I would definitely add a tablespoon or two of sugar. It was dead simple to make, but I was in for a big surprise when I tried to extricate the gelatin from the blender: due to the ice and efficient blending, the gelatin was already completely set once the blender turned off, so when I tried pouring it out of the blender, absolutely nothing came out. After a couple of moments of disbelief, I had to scoop the stuff out, and then it was ready to serve. I refrigerated it anyway, but it did not set up further.

Do you see how this dessert looks a little like shredded, wet insulation? Well, that's sort of what it tastes like. It is tart-sweet, but the overwhelming impression it gives you is chunky. Even when judiciously blended, pineapple stays slightly fibrous and, well, just chunky, and the gelatin keeps the whole mixture solid, which strongly reminded me of insulation for some reason, like if you flavored and moistened that fluffy stuff in your walls then ate it.

That resemblance aside, this dish isn't bad--it's just not very good, either. I like the flavor combination of pineapple, lime, milk, and almond, but the texture is so offputting that I couldn't truly enjoy it.

The appearance of the Hawaiian Dessert is a bit strange, too. Since it set up immediately upon being blended, I had no choice but to pile it up in glasses, which does make it look fluffy, I guess, but it certainly doesn't have the sleek, clean look of most gelatin.

If you want some tropical flavor and need a gelatin dessert FAST, I recommend the Hawaiian Dessert, except I think it would be better with a little extra sugar and some coconut milk in place of dairy milk, or at least half-and-half for more creaminess. However, this recipe is one of the lowest on the list of gelatin dishes that I would make again. The flavors just aren't enough to overcome the texture. Sorry, General Foods.