Pear Lime Jello

I’ve been a bit under the weather lately.  You know how it goes... You’re just starting to get over one sickness, when a second (or third) comes sweeping in & knocks you down again.  The latest of my maladies has included a wicked sore throat.  And when I have a sore throat, one of the foods I most want to eat is jello.  Preferably lime jello.

Usually plain lime jello, made straight from the box, is what I’m craving. However, this time, I kept thinking back to a pear lime jello salad we had over the Christmas holiday with my husband’s family in South Carolina.

The combination of pears, lime jello & cream cheese does not necessarily sound like it would go together, but I promise that it is quite tasty!  I may even attempt to make this into a boozy gelatin dessert sometime in the future (but in my opinion, sick people do NOT need alcoholic desserts....).

This also seemed to be the perfect time to try out the individual portion jello molds I’ve lately been acquiring (like at Round Top and in Birmingham).  While the original pear lime salad we had was not made into specific layers--it was made for a crowd in a giant serving bowl--I thought that trying to make it into layers for the individual portions might be a cute idea.

The top layer is the lime jello.  Once that layer is partially set, pear pieces are added.  Finally, an almost mousse-y layer of lime, cream cheese & pear, which have all been pureed together until they are silky-smooth, is added.  Nothing about this jello is remotely like the unfortunate firm jello squares sometimes seen at buffets.

Toughest part of this dessert? Waiting for everything to completely firm up.  Well, that and the actual unmolding process.  After the jello set, the molds were briefly dipped in warm water.  I literally held my breath as each mold was lifted off... some were prettier than others. But in the end, they all tasted wonderful and were just what my sore throat requested.

Pear Lime Jello 
heavily adapted from kraft.com 
makes 8 to 10 small servings

1 1/2c Pear Juice or syrup (I used the liquid from a 29oz can of pears packed in light syrup) 
1 package Lime Jello
1 1/2 c cold water
4 pear halves (from a 29oz can of pears; there will be remaining, unused pears)
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature  

1. Place 8 to 10 small jello molds onto a very flat baking pan or dish.  Small ramekins could also be used in place of jello molds. Set aside. 
2. Boil the pear juice in a small sauce pan.  Pour the hot juice into a large bowl & whisk in the jello.  Stir for 2 minutes, or until the gelatin has completely dissolved. 
3. Stir in the cold water. 
4. Portion 2 to 3 tablespoons of the gelatin into the bottom of each mold.  Place into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.  
5. While the molds are in the refrigerator, chop half of the the pears into small pieces, depending on the size(s) of your molds.  The smaller the molds, the smaller the pear pieces should be.  Once the lime layer has slightly thickened, arrange some of the pear pieces over that layer, pushing into the gelatin slightly, & return to the refrigerator.  
6. In a blender, combine the remaining jello mixture with the cream cheese & the remaining pear halves. Combine completely until there are no lumps.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.  
7. Fill the jello molds to the top. Refrigerate overnight or until completely set.  
8. Unmold just prior to serving. Dip each mold, nearly to the top, in warm water.  Allow to rest in the warm water for approximately 10 seconds. Invert the serving plate onto the mold.  Flip & gently remove the mold. Enjoy immediately.