Not satisfied with competing in the art of making stuffing, the Chow Bella staff is at it again. This showdown is all about Jell-O. So far we've brought you Sparkling Grapefruit Pie.
Today we're bringing you a recipe that's the culmination of our years of suffering through bad Jell-O molds on wilting lettuce leaves served by women with bluer hair than Marge Simpson, potluck pies gone tragically wrong (think decorative moats of runny berry Jell-O atop castle-themed cakes) and sugar-free but oddly appealing gelatin desserts served by diabetic relatives.
We took tips from the good and the bad to create this festive Berry Good Holiday Pie which will hopefully erase your bad memories of Jell-O shot parties and Aunt Ida's famous prune, black olive and Jell-O loaf.
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter
(or use a pre-made graham pie crust)
Filling:
1 package raspberry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 oz. Neufchatel cheese
2 oz. cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Jell-O jigglers and whipped cream for decoration (optional)
Directions: Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a small mixing bowl and stir until moistened. Press mixture into an 8-inch square pan. (Or, if you're too lazy bother with this step, just pre-purchase a ready made crust. But really, it takes like two minutes. So just skip posting your thirtythousandth Facebook post today and you'll have time.)
Dissolve Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water. Refrigerate until gelatin is soft-set, about 1 hour. Combine neufchatel, cream cheese, sugar vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer 2-3 minutes on medium speed until frothy. Fold in soft-set Jell-O and whipped cream. Beat with electric mixer until mixture is creamy, with no lumps. Pour into pan on top of graham mixture. Chill for 2-3 hours until firm. Top with Jell-O shapes and whipped cream before serving (optional).
