Flashback Friday: Marshmallow Pinwheels

Flashback Friday: Revisiting a recipe from long ago

These playful pinwheels were quite the treat when I was growing up.  What kid doesn't like Jell-O Jigglers?  Can you imagine the excitement when the Jigglers have a marshmallow layer and are rolled into a spiral?  Just in case that imagination of yours isn't quite as young as it used to be, I'll give you a few reminders.  These little guys give you full permission to play with your food.  They're just begging to be unrolled, twisted, peeled apart and, of course, wiggled before eating.  Finger food at its finest.

On Valentine's Day my mom usually put red heart Jell-o Jigglers in our lunchboxes.  I tried making these pinwheels with sugar-free strawberry gelatin in honor of the upcoming holiday but had a little trouble with the first batch.  It took some trial and error to get the marshmallow layer to float with sugar-free gelatin (as explained in the recipe below).  By the time I got that part down, I'd had my share of strawberry gelatin and went with black cherry instead.  I don't think they made black cherry gelatin when I was growing up, but I'm guessing I would have thought the color was pretty cool.

I always thought this recipe was extra special because it was printed on a plastic slip tucked inside our recipe box.  Obviously a clear recipe is just way too cool.  I now realize this "clear" recipe card was simply cut off the plastic bag from the marshmallows.  Isn't growing up exciting?  Anyway, I remember getting pretty excited when my mom would make them, especially if they were blue.   Because, let's just admit it, the blue Jell-o is the best.

Marshmallow Pinwheels
recipe from Kraft

Ingredients:
1 pkg (4 servings) flavored gelatin, regular or sugar-free*
1/2 cup boiling water
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows (or 12 large)

*The sugar-free is a little trickier to work with.  Be sure not to stir the marshmallows too much or they will dissolve into the gelatin.

Instructions:
* Lightly spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.
* In a microwave-safe bowl combine the gelatin and boiling water. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Let cool 1-2 minutes.
* Add marshmallows and microwave 20-40 seconds or until marshmallows just begin to puff.  Stir until smooth, marshmallow layer will float to top.  (This step is where the sugar-free is harder to work with. If your liquid is too hot or you stir too much, the marshmallows may dissolve completely instead of forming a top layer.)
*Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Refrigerate 45 minutes or until set. Cut into 10 strips and roll each into a pinwheel.

Food for Thought: "Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing." -Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr