Jeweled Gelatin Torte —rsquo; Mama’s Table Is Still Set

Mother's Day early this year. The holiday that is two holidays for me — the celebration of being a mother and the mourning of losing one. Derek brought coffee, card from all four kids. Zoe's contribution: a watercolor of the kitchen window with the magnolia tree, painted from her room. She sees the same view I see and paints it and the painting is more beautiful than the view because the painting has her love in it and the view only has physics.

Went to Mama's grave. Yellow roses. The tenth Mother's Day without her. The number is round and heavy. Ten years of not calling her on this day. Ten years of not hearing "Happy Mother's Day, baby, now tell me what you cooked." But this year: I put the book on the grave. Just for a moment. Set it on the stone next to the roses. "From Brenda's Kitchen." Her name. Her recipes. On her grave. The book resting on the stone the way it rested in my hands the way the recipes rest in the Folgers can the way love rests in the cooking. I picked it up after a moment. The stone doesn't need the book. But Mama needed to see it. Even stones can see, if you believe enough.

Curtis came to the cemetery. Derek pushed his wheelchair. He was quiet the whole time. He touched the stone with his one good hand. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. Curtis talks to Brenda in silence. He's been talking to her in silence for nine years. The conversation is private and holy and requires no audience. But I heard it anyway. I heard it in the way his fingers lingered on the stone and the way his eyes closed and the way his breath caught. I heard him say: I'm still here, Brenda. Still eating the food. Still at the table. Still here.

Made Mama's pound cake. The Mother's Day cake. Every year. The bundt pan. The pound of everything. Curtis ate two slices and said, "Your mama's cake." Yes. Always. Always Mama's cake.

Mama’s pound cake is hers and will always be hers — I don’t share that recipe because some things belong to the person who made them sacred. But when I got home from the cemetery, still carrying the weight of ten years and Curtis’s quiet grief, I wanted something that looked the way love feels: layered, bright, a little extravagant, jeweled. This Jeweled Gelatin Torte is the kind of dessert Mama would have set on the table when she wanted everyone to stop and look before they ate — a dessert that earns its moment. It’s not her pound cake, but it sits next to it at the table, which is the best honor I can give anything.

Jeweled Gelatin Torte

Prep Time: 35 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 5 hr 45 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin
• 1 package (3 oz) lime gelatin
• 1 package (3 oz) orange gelatin
• 4 1/2 cups boiling water, divided
• 2 1/4 cups cold water, divided
• 2 envelopes (1/4 oz each) unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold pineapple juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice, heated to boiling
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray

Instructions

1. Prepare the colored layers. In three separate bowls, dissolve each flavored gelatin package in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, stirring until fully dissolved. Stir 3/4 cup cold water into each bowl. Pour each flavor into a separate lightly greased 8×8-inch pan (about 1/2 inch deep). Refrigerate until firmly set, at least 2 hours.
2. Cut the jewels. Once fully set, cut each flavored gelatin slab into 3/4-inch cubes. Gently toss the cubes together in a large bowl and return to the refrigerator while you prepare the cream layer.
3. Bloom the unflavored gelatin. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold pineapple juice in a large bowl. Let stand 2 minutes to soften. Add the boiling pineapple juice and the sugar, stirring until gelatin and sugar are completely dissolved.
4. Cool the base. Let the pineapple gelatin mixture cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly but is still pourable.
5. Whip the cream. Beat the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled pineapple gelatin mixture until no streaks remain.
6. Fold in the jewels. Working quickly, fold the colored gelatin cubes into the cream mixture, distributing the colors evenly throughout.
7. Mold and chill. Lightly coat a 10-cup bundt pan or fluted tube pan with cooking spray. Spoon the mixture into the pan, pressing gently to fill any gaps. Cover and refrigerate until completely firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
8. Unmold and serve. To unmold, fill a large bowl or sink with warm (not hot) water and dip the bottom of the pan for 10 seconds. Place a serving platter over the pan and invert in one confident motion. Slice with a thin, sharp knife to reveal the jeweled interior. Serve chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 75mg