Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Rainbow Jello, aka Seven Layer Jello Salad

  • Want to make people smile? Want the perfect summer treat to delight grown-ups and kids alike? Then feast your eyes on this jiggling blast from the past. 
  • Yep. The one, the only--Seven Layer Jello Salad.
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  • Perfect for Birthday parties, picnics, and barbecues, this cool sweet Jello salad somehow completes a big summer gathering. My great-aunt Zelva would make this for every Pennsylvania family reunion. I loved the rainbow colors and creamy tutti frutti flavor as a kid and would load up my plate. As an adult, I still love it and I'm so glad to have great-aunt Zelva's recipe. Making this brings back memories of lazy sunny days, relaxing on lounge chairs in green summer grass, while chatting with family members, who are now long gone. 

  • Seven Layer Jello Salad

  • 1 (3 ounce) package lime gelatin
  • 1 (3 ounce) package lemon gelatin
  • 1 (3 ounce) package orange gelatin
  • 1 (3 ounce) package cherry gelatin
  • 4 cups boiling water, divided
  • 2 1/2 cups cold water, divided
  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • Dissolve lime gelatin in one cup of boiling water. Stir in ½ cup cold water. Pour into 9”x13”x2” glass baking dish.  Refrigerate until set.

In a small saucepan, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over ½ cup cold water. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir in milk and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

Spoon 1 ½ cups creamy gelatin mixture over the first flavored layer. Chill until set. ***HINT: You do not want your extra creamy mixture to set while you’re waiting for the fruit layers to set. I leave my creamy filling on the kitchen counter and stir it before layering it on each time until it is used up.

Prepare lemon flavor gelatin as directed for lime gelatin. Alternately layer flavored gelatin with creamy gelatin layers, allowing each to set before adding the next layer. Top with cherry gelatin. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares. Serve with a spatula right out of the glass dish.

Enjoy!

~The Lemonista
Tip Junkie handmade projects



    Tuesday, June 5, 2012

    Peach Sweet Rolls

    The power of suggestion.

    That's all it took to send my tail spinning down the path of the dark side to these mouth watering peach sweet rolls.

     
    My amazingly gifted friend, Dustin Hansen, innocently posted on Facebook, "What if cinnamon rolls and peach cobbler had a baby? " And that did it. That got me searching the Internet for recipes and rummaging through my pantry for ingredients. 

    The result--quite possibly my favorite breakfast treat of all time. I made 12 of these delicious peach rolls. TWELVE. And my family of 4 (two under the age of 8) inhaled them all. It was a peachy feeding frenzy. Seriously, once these rolls touch your lips--it's over. So consider yourself warned. 

    The core ingredient of this recipe is good peach jam. I make my own, and honestly, it's not difficult. So if you have access to fresh peaches, click on this link for my easy Peach Jam Tutorial. If fresh peaches are not within your grasp, or you're shaking your head sayin', There's no way I'm making my own jam, Erin, then try your best to get your hands on some good peach jam at a farmer's market. I did find Pearson Farm online sells their own peach jam. I haven't ordered from them, but it looks yummy! I'm sure if you look around, you can find jam somewhere.

    Peach Sweet Rolls
    Allow one loaf of frozen Rhodes bread dough, white or whole wheat, to thaw in the refrigerator over night.
    Butter a 9"x13" glass baking dish.
    Roll out your thawed dough to around a 9"x13" rectangle.

    Rub rolled out dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

    Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over the butter.

    Spread a generous 1/2 cup good peach jam on your dough, over the cinnamon and butter.

    Roll everything up into a long tube-like jelly roll.

    Slice your roll into 12 equal coins.

    Place coins sliced side up into your buttered 9"x13" baking dish.

    Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place until rolls are double in size.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-18 min or until tops of rolls are golden.

    Remove rolls from oven and immediately spread peach icing (recipe to follow) over the top.








    Peach Sweet Rolls
    1 loaf Rhodes frozen bread dough, thawed
    1 tablespoon butter
    1/2 tsp. cinnamon
    1/2 cup good peach jam

    • Butter a 9"x13" glass baking dish. 
    • Roll out your thawed dough to around a 9"x13" rectangle.
    • Rub rolled out dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter. 
    • Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over the butter. 
    • Spread a generous 1/2 cup good peach jam on your dough, over the cinnamon and butter.
    • Roll everything up into a long tube-like jelly roll. 
    • Slice your roll into 12 equal coins.
    • Place coins sliced side up into your buttered 9"x13" baking dish. 
    • Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place until rolls are double in size. 
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-18 min or until tops of rolls are golden. 
    • Remove rolls from oven and immediately spread peach icing (recipe to follow) over the top. 
    • Serve warm :-)

    Peach Icing
    3 tablespoons butter, softened
    2 tablespoons half & half
    1 tablespoon peach jam
    1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
    • Whip butter, cream, vanilla and peach jam until combined, then whip in powdered sugar.  
    Enjoy!

    ~The Lemonista

    Tip Junkie handmade projects