In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.

Looking back on my childhood, I can remember few potluck dinners that didn't feature some version of Jell-O. While my mother somehow missed out on this particular 1970s cultural phenomenon, every one of our neighbors and friends had some unique, idiosyncratic method for serving the famous gelled fruit dessert. Moreover, since I didn't get it at home, every bizarre concoction was an exciting culinary thrill for me.

Searching through my family cookbook, I was pleased to find what I am now convinced is the ultimate Jell-O dessert. The creator, Karen Mono Little, wasn't a blood relative, but her close friendship with my Aunt Evie (and amazing kitchen wizardry) gained her a place in our collection of family recipes. Although my updated version of her dessert is more naturally flavored and has much less sugar, I have to admit that it also lacks some of the savage, addictive intensity of the original. After the jump, I've included Karen's recipe as well as my own. Enjoy!


Karen Mono Little's Jell-O Dessert

1 stick (8 tablespoons) of salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flour
1 3-ounce package lemon Jell-O
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 pint whipping cream, chilled
1 6-ounce package strawberry Jell-O

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat butter and brown sugar together with hand mixer or stand mixer. Add walnuts and flour and mix until flour is fully combined. Press into a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix lemon Jell-O into 1 cup hot water until dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool. Using mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugar. Mix with cooled Jell-O. In another bowl, whip whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold it into the cream cheese/Jell-O mix. Pour over the cooled crust and refrigerate for one hour.

Mix and cool strawberry Jell-O and 3 cups hot water. Pour over the cheese layer and refrigerate until gelled.



My Version of the Jell-O Dessert

1 stick (8 tablespoons) of salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
4 envelopes gelatin
2 tablespoons lemon rind
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 8-ounce package neufchatel cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
2 pounds fresh strawberries
3 cups blueberry, strawberry, pomegranate or cherry juice, filtered
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat butter and brown sugar together with hand mixer or stand mixer. Add pecans and flour and mix until flour is fully combined. Press into a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool.

Pour one envelope of gelatin over the lemon juice. Let absorb for a minute, then add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir until gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool. Using mixer, beat together cream cheese, lemon rind and 1 cup sugar. Add in cooled gelatin/lemon juice mixture and beat until fully mixed. In another bowl, whip whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold it into the cream cheese/gelatin mix. Pour over the cooled crust and refrigerate for one hour or until gelled

Wash, dry and slice strawberries. Arrange atop chilled lemon mousse base. Heat 2 cups juice until simmering hot. Dissolve sugar and remaining three packets gelatin in it, then add final cup of juice. Pour over the strawberries, refrigerate and allow to gel. Enjoy!