In the 50s, my mother used to whip Jello and Evaporated milk together, pour it into single serve bowls and refrigerate. The result was a creamy foam that separated into two layers, forming a lighter foam on top. She always said it was simple to make but never taught me how she made it. I've tried simply stirring the Jello into boiling water to dissolve, cooling to room temperature and before it sets up, adding the evaporated milk and beating but it doesn't work. I've been looking for a very long time but all the recipes I find are much more complicated than this simple, elegant foam. I'm thinking she may have halved the amount of water the Jello box calls for. Maybe she whipped the milk separately and then added the dissolved Jello? Has anyone heard of this? If so, how is it made and does it have a name?
Jello and Evaporated Milk Dessert
dessertevaporated-milkfoamgelatin
Best Answer
Kraft has a recipe that resembles what you describe, in which you could substitute whipped evaporated:
3/4 cup boiling water
1 package (3 oz.) JELL-O
ice cubes
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup Cool Whip
Add boiling water to gelatin mix in a medium bowl; stir 2 minutes, until completely dissolved. Pour into blender. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1-1/4 cups; add to blender. Blend 30 seconds or until smooth. Add the whipped evaporated milk; blend well. Pour into 4 dessert dishes. Refrigerate until firm.
To whip evaporated milk, an easy method is to pour the contents into a metal or glass mixing bowl, and place it (and, separately, the beaters) in the freezer for 30-45 minutes, until ice crystals begin to form. Remove and beat at high speed until thick, 3-4 minutes.
Alternatively, food author Liz Berg has devised a method that emulates the discontinued Jello 1-2-3 product that separated into layers:
6 ounce box of Jello
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped [substitute whipped evaporated]
Divide dry Jello into two medium sized bowls. Add one cup boiling water to first bowl and stir till all sugar is dissolved. Add one cup of cold water and mix till combined. Pour mixture into clear glasses (6-8 depending on size) filling to halfway point. Chill till slightly jelled, about 30 minutes.
When the bottom layer is slightly jelled, whip the cream and repeat the process with the second bowl of dry gelatin, decreasing the cold water to ¾ cup. Whisk in the whipped cream and pour the Jello mixture on top of the first layer. Chill till set, about 4 hours.