Recipe: Strawberry Mousse in Tulip

Cindy-
I think you must be a swell mom!!!

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Strawberry Mousse in Tulip
Cups
Serves: 8
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cold water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
6 cups (three 1-pint baskets) fresh
strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup orange juice
8 large pesticide-free red or other color tulips,
rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons meringue powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. In medium-size heatproof bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and the boiling water
until sugar dissolves; set sugar syrup aside to cool.
2. In cup, combine cold water and gelatin; set aside 5 minutes to soften gelatin.
Meanwhile, hull and finely dice enough strawberries to measure 4 cups.
Refrigerate remaining strawberries. In 2-quart saucepan, heat diced strawberries
and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low and simmer berries until very soft -- about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.
3. Prepare orange-berry sauce: In food processor fitted with chopping blade or
blender, process or blend cooked berries until smooth puree forms. Pour 1 1/3
cups strawberry puree into 2-cup measuring cup and stir in orange juice; cover
and refrigerate until cold.
4. Pour remaining strawberry puree into same 2-quart saucepan and stir in
softened gelatin; heat over low heat just until gelatin dissolves. Refrigerate
strawberry gelatin, stirring often, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped
from spoon -- about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare tulip cups: Cut off stems and remove the pistils and
stamens from the tulips. Place each tulip cup in a custard cup or muffin-pan cup
to keep them upright; set aside.
6. Add meringue powder to syrup in bowl. With electric mixer on high speed,
beat until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold
cooled strawberry gelatin mixture into meringue until well mixed. In small bowl,
with electric mixer on high speed and same (no need to wash) beaters, beat
cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into strawberry gelatin mixture.
Gently spoon strawberry mixture, or mousse, into tulip cups, dividing evenly.
Refrigerate until set -- 2 hours or overnight.
7. Just before serving, sort remaining strawberries and reserve 16 small ones for
garnish. Hull and slice remaining berries; divide equally and place in center of
each of 8 serving plates. With large spoon, transfer tulip cups onto bed of sliced
berries, moving slices around tulip to support cup upright. Pour a thin layer of
orange-berry sauce around tulip cup on each plate. Garnish each with 2 berries.
Pass remaining sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving -- protein: 2 grams; fat: 6 grams; carbohydrate:
28 grams; fiber: 3 grams; sodium: 8 milligrams; cholesterol: 20 milligrams;
calories: 165.
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Title: Orange Upside-down Cheesecake
Categories: Cakes Desserts
Servings: 10
1 ea Env. Unflavored Gelatin 1 1/2 c Unsweetened Orange Juice
1/4 c Sugar 2 c Orange Section
1 ea Env. Unflavored Gelatin 1/2 c Unsweetened Orange Juice
24 oz Cream Cheese, Softened 1 c Sugar
2 t Grated Orange Peel 1 c Whipping Cream, Whipped
1 c Vanilla wafer crumbs 1/2 t Cinnamon
3 T Margarine, Melted

Soften Gelatin in juice. Add sugar; stir over low heat until dissolved.
Chill until slightly thickened, but not set. Arrange orange sections on
bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Pour gelatin mixture over oranges; chill
until thickened again but not set.

Soften gelatin in juice; stirr over low heat until dissolved. Combine
cream cheese, sugar and peel, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer
until well blended. Gradually add gelatin mixture, mixing until well
blended. Chill until slightly thickened; fold in whipped cream. Pour over
oranges, chill.

Combine crumbs, cinnamon and margarine; gently press onto top of cake.
Chill. Loosen from rim of pan; invert onto serving plate. Remove rim of
pan.

VARIATION:

Omit cinnamon. Substitute graham cracker crumbs or chocolate wafer crumbs
for vanilla wafer crumbs.
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Title: JELLO SNACKS FOR KIDS
Categories: Desserts, Snacks, Kids
Yield: 6 servings

1 (12 oz) can frozen grape
-juice concentrate, thawed
3 Envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c (1 can) water

From: Vicki Lansky's CANDY book

GRAPE FINGER JELLO

Soften gelatin in grape juice. Boil the water, add the
juice/ gelatin mixture and stir til gelatin dissolves.
Remove from heat, pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan
and chill. Cut into squares when firm. Refrigerate in
a covered container. This is good lunch box and
traveling fare. It can go unrefrigerated up to 4 hours
under normal (not desert!) conditions.

Variation: substitute frozen cranberry juice cocktail
concentrate for grape juice. Or a 12 oz can frozen
apple, pear, apple, juice concentrate.

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SLIPPERY CIRCLES

Let any of the recipes for finger jello stand and
chill til thickened which doesn't take very long (15
to 25 minutes). Place a spoonful of the gelatin into
each of 4 empty and clean 6 oz cans, such as usually
used for frozen orange juice. Cut a peeled banana in
half and center it in the can. Spoon in remaining
gelatin. Chill till firm. To unmold, dip to rim in
warm water and let it slide out. Or remove bottom of
can if more appropriate. Cut into slices.
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SUNSHINE SQUARES

(A Finger Jello that is good even for breakfast).

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice

Soften gelatin in pineapple juice. Add to boiling
water and stir til dissolved. Add sweetener and orange
juice. Chill in a 9x9 inch pan, then cut into squares.
Refrigerate in a covered container. Variation: If you
wish to use honey instead of sugar, decrease the
orange juice by 1/8 of a cup.