My New Obsession

Lemon Ginger Gelatin w/ "Snow"
{Martha Stewart, "Living" May 09}

Sheepish confession: Jell-O's and gelatin molds (pans, if you will) have been ridiculously on my mind for the last few months and I finally found some vintagy copper molds for a buck from a thrift store! One dollar for THREE. Hooray!! In my pathetic excitement, I've been researching and experimenting with gelatin recipes and am now on a cloud nine of Jell-O. Apparently, Utah is the highest consumer of Jell-O in the US. Know why? Mormons. We eat a lot of it!! At least back in the day of our grandparents' generation. My Grandma for instance, was the JELLO QUEEN; she made a mad Jell-O salad and a mad pear Jell-O mold that nobody in their right mind dare compete with. From scratch or from a box, I've revived a new love in my life. This very contemporary recipe from Martha Stewart is wonderful, and the ginger/lemon combination is both refreshing and subtle.

FOR THE LEMON-GINGER GELATIN
3 1/2 cups cold water, plus more if needed
1 cup sugar
1 piece (4 inches) fresh ginger, unpeeled, scrubbed, and sliced
1 cup strained fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons-room temperature)*
Scant 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (one 1/4-ounce envelope)

FOR THE SNOW
Scant 4 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (two 1/4-ounce envelopes)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Make the lemon-ginger gelatin: Combine water, sugar, and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Whisk with lemon juice. (You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups liquid. If needed, add more water to yield 5 cups.)

Prepare an ice-water bath**. Sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup cool juice mixture in a small saucepan, and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Strain into 1 1/4 cups juice mixture in a bowl set in ice-water bath. Let stand, stirring often until mixture begins to gel, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour into a damp 7-cup mold. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the snow: Prepare an ice-water bath. Sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup cool juice mixture in a small saucepan, and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Strain through fine sieve into remaining 2 1/4 cups juice mixture in a bowl set in ice-water bath. Let stand, stirring often until mixture just begins to gel, 5 to 15 minutes (you want it pretty-well geled, not liquidy)...

Once mixture begins to gel, whisk together cream and sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into gelatin mixture. Spoon into mold on top of lemon-ginger gelatin (make sure this lemon ginger layer is quite firm or else the whip cream mixture could become incorporated into it)... Refrigerate until gelatin is set, at least 4 hours or up to overnight. To serve, dip mold in hot water until gelatin loosens, and invert quickly (you don't want to run the hot water over the mold for more than a SECOND or else it will become too soft and jiggly to invert).

Helpful Hint: This recipe can be made in one 7-cup mold or two 3 1/2-cup molds.

*Do not even think about using bottled lemon juice-fresh lemons all the way!
** An ice water bath is simply a big bowl, filled halfway with a mixture of ice cubes and cold water. Good luck!