lets give this a go!

ladies, although i love this blog experiment, it is failing. but i'm a scientist, and if i've learned anything from grad school its that when you really really want an experiment to work you keep repeating that experiment until you want to kill yourself. i like this blog. i think it could be useful and fun. also i need a distraction from my other failing experiments so i don't have to want to kill myself. to that end, here is something fun i did tonight:


jello cake balls!


i'm a 5th-ish generation american mutt born and raised in sioux city, iowa. i don't have a "cultural history." i can't make grandma's favorite schnitzel (i had to look up the spelling of that word) or moussaka or insert-ethnic-food-here. My coworkers were recently talking about having a cultural food day, where everyone would bring a favorite family recipe that represented their heritage. i figured i would have to do grilled cheese sandwiches with wonder bread and kraft american singles. but, behold: jello cake. a staple of my childhood. some of my mom's best work. is it more exotic than grilled cheese? no. but it's prettier, and less embarrassing. i went with cake balls instead b/c they're trendier, and i'm nothing if not trendy.


How to make:
1 white box cake (or generic from-scratch white cake)
1 3oz pkg of jello, flavor of your choice


prepare the cake according to the recipe. prepare the jello by heating 1/2 cup water, dumping in the entire contents of the package, and stirring until its dissolved.


when you bake the cake the edges and bottom will likely be golden-brown and slightly crispier than the center. i like to scoop out only the non-crispy parts so that the balls are even and smooth. but this is not necessary. just dump the cake into a bowl. pour about 1/4 cup of the jello into the bowl with the cake and blend. let sit for 5-10 min. if mixture is sticky enough that it can be rolled in to self-sufficient balls you're good. if not, add a little bit more of the jello liquid and repeat. these balls will be very moist* so you want to use as little liquid as possible! once you can make a ball that holds its shape, roll it in powdered sugar and enjoy!


*i repeat, these balls are very moist. and i'm not trying to make an awkward balls joke. they are moist.