Broken Glass

Broken Glass Jelly and Mousse

Hasn't it been like an oven in KK the past week? I am not a sweaty person, not even in non-air con rooms. But the last few days I've had to shower twice and with cold water which was not cold but warm. Cooking was like cooking in hell, especially stir-frying, so I usually cooked a casserole and a veg for dinner, and served lots of fruits. I must've had more 100 Plus in the last week than I've had in the last 6 months.

In this hot weather, I suddenly craved for the all-American dessert--cold, jiggly, wobbly Jello--and remembered an old dessert recipe from a cookbook (Company's Coming by Jean Pare) that Florence had given me on her trip back from Canada years ago. The dessert was 'broken glass' and I made it once or twice for Yi and Ming's birthday parties when they were still very small. Hub, who doesn't like sweet stuff, was surprisingly full of praise when he ate 'broken glass'. He said, "This is very nice, not too creamy or heavy or sweet. Yes, I really like this." (I have omitted all sugar called for in the recipe.) Ming and Wey too had big slices when they got back from school and after dinner. Ming especially loves it and gave me an idea: next time don't use cream in the jelly so that the broken glass will really look like stained glass. Another variation I'm thinking of is to add cream cheese to the mousse. Next try.

After my photo session, I gobbled the huge piece of 'broken glass' you see in the picture, and washed it down with a cold Ribena and it was such a cooling, satisfying feeling. I think there'll be more Jello recipes on the way. This dessert needs time to set so it's best to make it at night. I've used Jello and Western Family brands jelly crytals as they work best. Our local jelly powders don't work, so don't waste your $.



Broken Glass
1 box 3oz/85g lime-flavored Jello*
1 box 3oz/85g raspberry-flavored (or any red) Jello
1 box 3oz/85g lemon or orange-flavored Jello
3 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups ice-cold water
1 1/4 T gelatine powder
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup ice-cold water
2 cups whipping cream (either dairy or non-dairy)
1/2 t vanilla essence

Base:
2 cups McVities Digestive biscuits
2/3 cup melted butter
--crush the biscuits until fine and mix with the melted butter. Press the crumbs onto the bottom of a 10"/25 cm spring-form pan and bake 10 minutes at 160 C. Take out and leave to cool.

* I find that only Jello sets well. Western jelly doesn't, especially the raspberry flavor.

1. Get ready 4 round trays/pans of 8"/20 cm or square trays of similar capacity. Rinse the pans/trays so they are wet (so jelly will slip off easily).

2. In a medium-sized bowl, add the lime-flavored Jello powder and 1 cup of boiling water, stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cold water, stir well and pour into one of the trays. Do the same with the raspberry and the lemon Jellos. When cool, put all the three trays into the fridge to set.

3. When the Jellos have set, you can proceed to this step. Dissolve the gelatine powder in the the pineapple juice, then heat it until all the gelatine is dissolved. Add the 1/4 cup cold water, let cool and put into fridge. While waiting for the pineapple jelly to turn syrupy, whip the cream with the vanilla until cream is stiff. Cut the 3 Jellos into 1 cm squares and ease them off the bottom of the trays.

4. When the pineapple jelly is syrupy but not quite set yet (too watery and it won't hold the mousse, too set and it will not mix well), take it out and stir it up a bit. Using a hand whisk or metal spoon, quickly and gently combine the pineapple jelly with the whipped cream, then mix in the 3 jellos and pour the mixture into the prepared pan, level and chill for at least 6 hours or better still, overnight.