Menu Mondays | Something from Nothing: Thrifty Foods from the 1930s
Two long-lived American products, one purpose: a delicious and creamy treat not requiring preparation or planning. Great Depression flummery mixes Jello with evaporated milk to make a creamy fruit-flavored dessert that was popular due to the availability of ingredients. Traditionally, flummery was a Welsh pudding made from boiling sour oatmeal jelly with husks; it characteristically had either a very bland or asharply acidic taste. Over the years, modern flummery has appeared in many varations and styles. This particular version boasts a very flavorful and fluffy outcome. You may find fancier versions in Wales today made with stewed fruit thickened with cornstarch.
Ingredients
2 boxes cherry Jello
2 cups boiling water
1 can Carnation Evaporated Milk
Directions
1. Put the evaporated milk in the freezer for an hour or so to chill. Alternatively, refrigerate overnight.
2. Stir the boiling water into the Jello powder, stirring until completely dissolved. Put in the refrigerator to cool, but DON’T let it set. Stir it every so often to check.
3. Pour the chilled milk into a metal mixing bowl and beat on high until it forms soft peaks (like whipping cream). N.B., one little can of milk will turn into about five times the amount of whipped milk, so use a big bowl!
4. Now, continue to beat on high while slowly pouring the cooled Jello into the whipped milk, then continue stirring until the mixture is uniform in color. (You might need to scrape down the sides with a spatula a couple of times to achieve this.)
5. At this point, you can put the flummery into a mold, or simply leave it in the bowl. Put in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours, and serve. The flummery will be frothy and melt sweetly in your mouth – the perfectly easy dessert.
Ingredients
2 boxes cherry Jello
2 cups boiling water
1 can Carnation Evaporated Milk
Directions
1. Put the evaporated milk in the freezer for an hour or so to chill. Alternatively, refrigerate overnight.
2. Stir the boiling water into the Jello powder, stirring until completely dissolved. Put in the refrigerator to cool, but DON’T let it set. Stir it every so often to check.
3. Pour the chilled milk into a metal mixing bowl and beat on high until it forms soft peaks (like whipping cream). N.B., one little can of milk will turn into about five times the amount of whipped milk, so use a big bowl!
4. Now, continue to beat on high while slowly pouring the cooled Jello into the whipped milk, then continue stirring until the mixture is uniform in color. (You might need to scrape down the sides with a spatula a couple of times to achieve this.)
5. At this point, you can put the flummery into a mold, or simply leave it in the bowl. Put in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours, and serve. The flummery will be frothy and melt sweetly in your mouth – the perfectly easy dessert.