Make Ahead

Grandma Bevie’s Port & Black Cherry Jello Mold

November  5, 2010
4.4
5 Ratings
  • Serves 8 - 12
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

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 packages raspberry or wild cherry jello
  • 1/2 cup Port (wine)
  • 1 cup pitted Bing cherries, bottled or canned
  • 1 1/2 cups lychee fruit, fresh or canned
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 1/3 cups juice (reserved from the fruit)
  • 1 1/3 cups boiling water
Directions
  1. Drain cherries and lychees into a bowl or measuring cup and reserve liquid (you will need 1 1/3 cups total).
  2. Cut lychees into halves. Put cherries and lychees in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine 2 packages jello with 1 1/3 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved.
  4. Stir in 1/2 cup of Port and 1 1/3 cups juice (reserved from the fruit).
  5. Pour into a decorative jello mold or 8” cake tin. (I use a ring mold with a hole in the center.)
  6. Add cherries, lychees, and pecan halves and spread them around.
  7. Cover and chill until set.
  8. Slide a knife around the edges of the mold to loosen the jello.
  9. Place a serving plate face down on top of the mold, and (holding both the plate and the mold), flip them right-side up.
  10. Put a hot wet dish towel around the mold for 30 seconds and then lift off the mold.
  11. To serve: Use a knife to cut wedges and a pie server to transfer to plates.

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