Chill out with retro desserts

photo by lindspetrol

Gelatin is a tasty ingredient to add to desserts. It’s cheap and comes in a wide variety of flavors and colors that make it festive for any occasion. Everyone should have at least one gelatin recipe that’s a hit with family and friends.

Gelatin Milkshake

1 cup milk
1 package (4-serving size) gelatin, any flavor
1 pint softened vanilla ice cream

Pour 1 cup milk into blender, and add gelatin. Cover and blend 30 seconds. Add softened ice cream and blend 1 minute longer. Can add fruit if desired. — Ellise, South Carolina

Strawberry Pretzel Gelatin

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 9-ounce tub whipped topping
2 3-ounce packages strawberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 16-ounce package frozen sweetened strawberries

Crust: Combine pretzels, butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Press into 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bake in preheated 350 F oven for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
White Layer: Cream together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over pretzel crust.
Red Layer: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in frozen strawberries. Chill until partially set, about 1 hour, and spread over white layer. Chill until set and serve. — Michelle S., Massachusetts

Strawberry Chocolate Pie

1 package (4-serving size) strawberry gelatin
1-1/4 cups boiling water
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 package chocolate crumb crust
3 tablespoons margarine
2 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate
whipped topping, thawed (optional)
fresh strawberries (optional)

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Spoon in ice cream. Stir until melted and smooth. Chill until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour into crust. Chill until firm, about 2 hours. Melt margarine with chocolate; cool. Spread over pie. With knife, lightly score pie into serving-size pieces. Chill until chocolate mixture hardens. Serve with whipped topping and berries. — Lori, Illinois

Creamy Gelatin

4 cups boiling water
1 3-ounce package cherry gelatin
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, sliced into fourths
1 3-ounce package lemon gelatin
1 3-ounce package lime gelatin
1 3-ounce package orange gelatin

Add 1 cup boiling water to package of cherry gelatin and stir. Add 1/4 of the vanilla ice cream and use a whisk to whip with the gelatin. Pour into a clear 9-by-13-inch pan for 15 minutes or until set. Then add 1 cup of boiling water to package of lemon gelatin. Add 1/4 of the vanilla ice cream and use a whisk to whip with the gelatin. Pour on top of the cherry layer for 15 minutes or until set. Repeat for last two layers. — Brenda, Missouri

Creamsicle Fluff

1 small box orange gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well

Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Add 3 ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill with cold water to make 1 cup. Add to gelatin and hot water. Stir well until dissolved. Let set for 5 minutes to cool. With electric mixer, stir the dry instant pudding into gelatin. Mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes. Fold in thawed whipped topping and then the oranges. Refrigerate. — Debra, Nebraska

Posted by Sara Noel on March 10 2010. Filed under Frugal Cooking.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with United Media. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook.