Author Notes
We love pumpkin pie and pecan pie (and have favorite family recipes for both), but we always serve this dessert along with the rich pies – it looks like a deep red jewel on the table. It’s light and refreshing and full of surprises – cherries, lychees, crunchy pecans and the subtle flavor of Port. Who knew that jello could be this sophisticated? This has been a family staple for Thanksgiving and Christmas for almost 40 years – thanks to my mother-in-law, Grandma B. A big plus is that it takes only minutes to prepare and you can make it several days in advance. —Carrollmontreal
Ingredients
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2
packages raspberry or wild cherry jello
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1/2 cup
Port (wine)
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1 cup
pitted Bing cherries, bottled or canned
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1 1/2 cups
lychee fruit, fresh or canned
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1 cup
pecan halves
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1 1/3 cups
juice (reserved from the fruit)
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1 1/3 cups
boiling water
Directions
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Drain cherries and lychees into a bowl or measuring cup and reserve liquid (you will need 1 1/3 cups total).
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Cut lychees into halves. Put cherries and lychees in a bowl and set aside.
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Combine 2 packages jello with 1 1/3 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved.
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Stir in 1/2 cup of Port and 1 1/3 cups juice (reserved from the fruit).
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Pour into a decorative jello mold or 8” cake tin. (I use a ring mold with a hole in the center.)
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Add cherries, lychees, and pecan halves and spread them around.
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Cover and chill until set.
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Slide a knife around the edges of the mold to loosen the jello.
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Place a serving plate face down on top of the mold, and (holding both the plate and the mold), flip them right-side up.
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Put a hot wet dish towel around the mold for 30 seconds and then lift off the mold.
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To serve: Use a knife to cut wedges and a pie server to transfer to plates.
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