Today we’re making one of my all time favorite Mexican desserts, Gelatina de Mosaico, or mosaic gelatin, to celebrate tomorrow’s release of Chicano Bakes!
The dessert chapter from my first book “Chicano Eats Recipes from My Mexican-American Kitchen” led to the idea of “Chicano Bakes”, so it’s only appropriate that I showcase a recipe from that chapter. If you have already pre-ordered a copy of Chicano Bakes, join me for a free baking class this weekend! On Saturday we’re baking up a Spiced Pumpkin Chocoflan from the Cakes Chapter, and on Sunday we’ll be making Panque de Nuez (a sweet pecan loaf) from the Pan Dulce Chapter, and both classes are free with your pre-order. Make sure to reserve your space here, https://forms.gle/zdwPDfoBza2qEzPL8 , sign-ups close tonight! If you’d like to purchase a signed copy of Chicano Bakes, find them here.
What is Gelatina de Mosaico (Mosaic Jello)?
Gelatina de Mosaico is a Mexican gelatin dessert that is comprised of flavored gelatin cubes suspended in a cinnamon milk flavored jello. When you slice into the dessert it looks like a colorful mosaic or stained glass, and it is typically served for birthday parties, or during the holidays.
It’s not at all difficult to make, you start by making three different flavored jellos, and while they set, you make a cinnamon milk flavored base. Then once the flavored jellos are set, you cut each flavor into smaller cubes, add them to a bundt pan or baking dish, and then you pour the milk jello over the flavored cubes.
I love how you can easily customize it by coordinating the colors of the flavored gelatins you use to the occasion. You can also make this in a 9×13 glass pan for squares, or you can make this in a bundt pan, or you can also make it in individual cups for a kids birthday party. There’s not much to it!
That’s all I have for you today, it’s an exciting week and busy week, and I can’t wait for you to start reading and baking through Chicano Bakes!
Find the recipe in my cookbook, Chicano Eats!
Gelatina de Mosaico (Mexican Mosaic Jello)
Ingredients
- 3 (6 ounce) Packages of Flavored Gelatin (I used cherry, blue raspberry, and lemon)
- 6 cups Boiling Water (1.4 liters)
- 4 tablespoons Unflavored Gelatin
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- 1 Mexican Cinnamon Stick , broken in half
- 14 ounce can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (396g)
- 2 cups Half-and-Half (475ml)
- 1½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Lightly coat three 8-inch (20 cm) square pans and one 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33 cm) baking pan with cooking spray.
- In three separate bowls, mix each package of flavored gelatin with 2 cups (475 ml) boiling water. Pour each into its own greased square pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- After the jellos have been in the fridge for 30 minutes, make the milk gelatin. In a 3-quart (3 liter) saucepan, mix the unflavored gelatin into 1 cup (240ml) water. Set aside for about 5 minutes so the gelatin can bloom. Set the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until the gelatin has dissolved. Add the whole milk and heat to just under a simmer. Add the cinnamon stick, remove from the heat, and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and whisk in the condensed milk, half-and- half, and vanilla extract. Set aside while you prep the colored gelatins. Remove the colored gelatins from the refrigerator and cut each flavor into 1-inch (36 mm) cubes. Evenly spread out and mix each flavor in the 9x 13-inch pan. Pour the milk jello over the cubes. Refrigerate until set and firm. 3 to 4 hours.
- When you're ready to serve, invert the gelatina onto a cutting board, cut into 3- to 4-inch (7.5 to 10 cm) cubes, and place on a serving platter.
6 Comments
Flora
October 31, 2022 at 9:54 amHello. Sounds fun! How much plain gelatine for the milk jelly please?
Esteban
October 31, 2022 at 11:28 amWoops, just updated the recipe. It’s 4 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin!
Cecilia
October 31, 2022 at 7:42 pmLooks delicious! Would it be possible to omit the cinnamon and just have the vanilla flavor? (Allergy purposes)
Esteban
October 31, 2022 at 7:50 pmYes, of course!
Erick
November 18, 2023 at 7:16 pmWhat jello do I use because the package tells me to do more than you did
Esteban
November 19, 2023 at 11:12 amHi Erick, are you referring to the unflavored jello, or flavored jello? Don’t follow the directions on the package. Each 6 ounce flavored jello packet gets mixed with 2 cups of water.