jello recipe from "scratch" not box

[jfinchster]

I would like to make a jello salad for memorial day that uses knox brand gelitan (plain) and add my own sweetner (stevia and xylitol). I don't want to use the boxed jello to do it because I don't like the taste of aspartame or the chemical. I wouldn't be opposed to using one of the splenda based "juices/drinks" that are out there as a base as I can't really think of any other way--I would like to add in celery, nuts, cream cheese or cream, maybe a little pineapple something like that...

Does anyone have any ideas on this one?

Or I was thinking I could take raspberries and/or blueberries and blend them up with water for the base--then add sweetners and gelitan...

I do have a blueberry tea mix you add to water that is sweetened with stevia I wonder how that would taste as a base....

[jfinchster]

I just realized from checking in the recipe room that I could use kool aid as a base (still not the most natural thing) but then add my own sweetner instead of splenda--this was from the aspartame free jello recipe which gave me the water to gelitan ratio too...

[LindaSue]

NO CARB JELLO
2 packets unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups boiling water
1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid, any flavor
Liquid Splenda to equal 1 cup sugar *
1 1/2 cups cold water or ice cubes **

Put the 1/2 cup cold water in a large bowl or 8-cup measuring cup. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand about 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Bring the gelatin/water mixture just to a simmer in the microwave then stir in the boiling water; stir until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Stir in the Kool-aid and Splenda. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups cold water or ice. If using ice cubes, add enough to bring the level of the liquid up to 4 cups. Stir until the ice has almost completely melted, removing any unmelted ice. Pour into 8 dessert dishes and chill until set.

Makes 8 half-cup servings
Do not freeze

* If you don't have liquid Splenda, you can use up to 1/2 cup Da Vinci sugar free syrup in place of 1/2 cup of the boiling water and 1/2 cup of the sweetener. You could create some interesting flavors by mixing one flavor of Kool-Aid with a different flavor of syrup. I made a batch with black cherry Kool-Aid and some black cherry Torani syrup and I think it gave it a more realistic cherry flavor than Kool-Aid alone. I have some pineapple Kool-Aid that I'd like to try blending with coconut syrup for a piña colada flavor jello.

** If you're using a large glass measuring cup to make this, you can help the gelatin set up much more quickly by using ice cubes instead of cold water.

Per Serving: 7 Calories; 0g Fat; 1g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0g Net Carbs

UPDATE: I've revised this recipe a bit. I thought that the flavor was a little too intense with only two cups of liquid to 1 packet of Kool-Aid mix. Normally you add 8 cups of water to one packet of Kool-Aid, not just 2 cups. So, I compromised and used 4 cups of water, doubled the amount of gelatin and kept the amount of sweetener the same since you would normally add 1 cup of sugar to one packet of Kool-Aid when making it by the pitcher. Feel free to adjust the sweetener to your taste.

If you use 1/2 cup Da Vinci syrup and 1/2 cup granular Splenda, here are the counts:

Per Serving: 14 Calories; 0g Fat; 1g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 2g Net Carbs

If you must use all granular Splenda, these are the counts:

Per Serving: 19 Calories; 0g Fat; 1g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

[jfinchster]

Thanks for your response Linda Sue--just wanted to let you know I really
appreciate all the work you've done on your website.

Jennifer

[amo]

Coconut milk might work, depending on what you had in mind.

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Here is a recipe for Cherry Coke Salad posted on this board awhile back by gettinserious. You can of course use the equivalent sweetener of your choice.

I actually made it and took to a Ladies luncheon at church awhile back. I didn't have any celery, and subbed chopped cabbage. It was quite good. I subbed the recipe that LindaSue posted above for the box of jello. (Used the liquid from this recipe.)

*Eported from MasterCook *
Cherry Coke Salad - Low Carb
Recipe By :gettinserious (LCF)
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 C. cold water
3 pkg. unflavored gelatin(package) (I subbed zero carb jello recipe using liquid from this recipe)
4 C. diet cola (with saccharin) -- (with Splenda) flat
1 pkg. unsweetened kool-Aid -- Black Cherry
1/2 teaspoon Sweetzfree -- liquid Sweetener (equal to 1 cup sugar)
1 pkg. cream cheese -- (8 oz.)
1/2 C. coconut -- fresh grated
1/2 C. celery -- chopped
1/2 C. nuts -- of your choice

Soften gelatin in cold water for about 2 min. in a glass measuring cup. Now set the whole cup in the microwave and cook on high for 11/2 min. Stir well and check to see if you can see through it. If not microwave for a few more seconds.

Pour this in a large bowl. Add the flat cola, sweetener, and Kool aid. Stir until there is no fizz at all. If you didn't let the cola set until it was flat, you can add it VERY slowly.

Take 1 C. of this liquid mixture and place it in a blender with the 8 oz. of cream cheese and whip until the cheese is completely blended. Pour the cream cheese liquid back into the bowl with the rest of the mixture. Stir to blend.

Place in the refrigerator and watch it for the beginning signs of setting up. Stir it occasionally to keep the cream cheese blended.

When the mixture begins to thicken add the nuts, coconut, and celery. It should be thick enough to suspend the chopped ingredients.

Place in serving bowl. Place back in refrigerator and let it set up firm.

You may eat it as is or with whipped cream.

Source: http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/lo...ml#post9991368

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 140 Calories; 11g Fat (69.4% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 21mg Cholesterol; 106mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat.

[oliveoyl]

I could never get the flavor right using Koolaid -- one envelope wasn't enough and two was too much and I even tried using 1 1/2 envelopes, but that was too inconvenient. I finally hit on using DaVinci's syrup for part of the liquid.
1 pkt unflavored gelatine
1 cup boiling water
1 cup Da Vinci's flavored syrup
1 tsp flavored extract (cherry, raspberry, orange, etc.)
1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
Mix the boiling water and the gelatine together until the gelatine is dissolved. Stir in the DaVinci's syrup and the extracts and mix well and chill. I really like the additional tsp of lemon extract -- it gives it the zippy flavor that Jello has -- but you can omit it if you want and the taste will be just fine.
Here's a wonderful, old-fashioned aspic that I found in the original 1953 Better Homes & Garden Cookbook. This is not sweet, but it's really wonderful!
1 pkt unflavored gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced radishes
Soften gelatine in cold water for five minutes. Stir in the hot water until the gelatine dissolves. Add lemon juice, vinegar and salt. Chill till partially set and add the remaining ingredients. You may pour this into 6 individual molds if you wish. Chill till firm, unmold by dipping very briefly in hot water and serve on lettuce leaves with a dollop of mayonnaise.