{"id":6167,"date":"2013-04-05T09:30:33","date_gmt":"2013-04-05T13:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/?p=6167"},"modified":"2021-03-19T17:14:57","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T21:14:57","slug":"dream-big-tres-leches-and-strawberry-jello","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/dream-big-tres-leches-and-strawberry-jello\/","title":{"rendered":"Dream Big: Tres Leches and Strawberry Jello"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red, green, orange, blue\u2026 and all the colors you can dream up! Vanilla, cajeta<\/a>, jamaica<\/a>, chocolate<\/a>, coffee, fruits, nuts\u2026 and just about any flavor you may crave. Smooth or chunky, creamy or foamy, heavy or light\u2026 choose any texture you like. Wait! We haven’t even gotten into shapes. Did you say your son likes Spiderman, your mom likes flowers or you want to go for a simple 2 layer design?<\/p>\n

If you haven’t fallen for Jello, then you haven\u2019t tried those in the Mexican repertoire. Forget about the 1950s-style-jello salads. Forget about the Jello you\u2019ve seen people eat, or you may have eaten, in hospitals, too.<\/p>\n

Mexican Jello is something to celebrate, to showcase, to boast about.<\/p>\n

Gelatinas<\/em>, in Spanish, many times come in individual servings with different flavors stacked in bright and colorful layers. Sold by street vendors who carry them in see through 2 to 3 tier covered stands, they are a common site in gas stations where cars wait for their turn and passersby can’t help but be tempted. Now you know why I always tagged along with my dad to fill up the tank!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to show up at a kids party in Mexico and not see them. You will run into more sophisticated versions of them, standing tall, firm and proud at grown up parties, maybe with generous splashes of rum, tequila or rompope<\/em> in their mix. There are simpler Jello creations brightening shelves at bakeries and grocery stores, too. In fact, Jello is such a big thing, that some cooks have elevated it to a complex art form with floral and abstract designs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, home-made Jello is a staple dessert in people’s homes. It is simple, easy to make and healthy: it can be tailored to use fresh seasonal ingredients.<\/p>\n

The secret to this infinitum of possibilities with Jello is unflavored gelatin<\/a>, which can be found in just about any grocery store: here and in China. Pick any ingredient, any flavor, and you can turn it into Jello.<\/p>\n

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Since I am going all out here, plus it is almost my son Juju’s birthday, I decided to translate one of our favorite cakes into Jello. Yup!<\/p>\n

Remember Tres Leches Cake<\/a>? Well, the first layer of my Spring-Time and Almost-Juju’s-Birthday-Jello is a Tres Leches Jello. Whole milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk\u00a0turned into Jello (just follow my super simple recipe below!). The milks are quickly simmered to thicken, the result: rich, almost custardy like and so creamy.<\/p>\n

I love serving Tres Leches Cake with strawberries, and Juju happens to be wild about strawberries, so my next layer has them. It is a Tres Leches Cake with<\/em>\u00a0strawberries in Jello form. Fully. And decadently.<\/p>\n

\"strawberry<\/p>\n

I have the berries swimming in a a Jello mix made with cranberry juice. It gives that layer a bright punch, a kick of refreshing tartness and more shine, which counterbalances the creamy Tres Leches layer.<\/p>\n

I didn’t add any sugar to that fruit layer, because the Tres Leches layer has all the sweetness I think it needs. Plus, you are eating them together, one on top of the other.<\/p>\n

Since you can do almost anything you want (no joke!) with Jello, I played and alternated. Some Jellos started with the Tres Leeches layer and others with the fruity one.<\/p>\n

I chose plastic cups, because they are practical, you can see through, making it more colorful and irresistible. As a bonus, the servings are already pre measured. But you can choose many kinds of molds<\/a>, individual or not.<\/p>\n

\"Tres<\/p>\n

It’s a good idea to place all your cups in a baking tray or sheet pan, so that when you move them in and out of the refrigerator they won’t shake much. You don’t have to take so many trips either.<\/p>\n

So you prepare your mixes, in a snap. Pour your first layer and refrigerate until it firms up, then pour the second layer and let it firm up again. \u00a0You can go crazy and make thick layers, thin layers, 2 layers or 10 layers!<\/p>\n

\"Tres<\/p>\n

Sometimes experiments in the kitchen are a total failure and you just have to pick up the pieces and move on. But sometimes, it takes a few tries to get it right (this one took three tries!) and when you nail it, they become a treasure to share. If you feel you are onto something, don’t give up on the first try. Go for it, find a treasure and share it.<\/p>\n

Here, this is a treasure I sought and found, and now it is yours too.<\/p>\n

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Tres Leches and Strawberry Jello<\/h2>\n
Gelatina de Tres Leches con Fresas<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n <\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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