Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert

I believe recipes are successful when they stand the test of time. If you loved something as a kid and still love it just as much as an adult, it's something special. Growing up, there were two desserts I requested regularly for special occasions. One was my Nana's decadent Texas Bar Cake (a clue to my future, no?!), which I had for my birthday every year. I will definitely cover this recipe in a later post.

But today is the day for my Geema's Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert. This dish holds a special place in my heart because over the years Geema noticed how obsessed I was with it. She began making one for our family gatherings and an extra one just for me to have later. I don't think she ever served this as a dessert actually. It was always a side dish in the culinary days of Jello-everything. And our family always called it Strawberry Mold because, yes, it was poured into a decorative mold and served in all its jiggly glory. I didn't think our family's name for it would translate into an appetizing title for this post. But believe me when I tell you it's so tasty. My husband requests it for his birthday instead of cake. It's whipped to a light and airy consistency with a ton of strawberry flavor from the whole chunks of berry and berry juice. Some may think these types of recipes are dated. I call this one delicious.

Another interesting side note: I didn't get around to asking my Geema for her recipe until she was well into her 80's and her memory was failing her. She hand-wrote her recipe and gave it to me with our wedding gift. The first time I made it, it was a disaster. Her directions weren't clear and she had left out a few important details, but her memory of how much it meant to me endured. And that's what matters the most. Enjoy!

Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 package (3 oz) strawberry jello
• 1 envelope Dream Whip, prepared (which includes milk and vanilla in package directions)

  

  Geema's recipe written with her signature green ink pen

Directions:

1. After strawberries have thawed, drain the berries and reserve the juice in a measuring cup. Roughly chop berries and set aside. 
2. In medium bowl, combine Jello and 1c boiling water. Mix until dissolved. 
3. In the strawberry juice measuring cup that you set aside, add cold water enough to measure 1c in all. Add to the Jello bowl and mix. Cover and refrigerate until almost set.
4. While Jello chills, prepare one envelope of Dream Whip. Follow package directions. Refrigerate until Jello is also ready. 
5. When Jello is almost set, in a standing mixer or hand mixer beat until Jello until foamy. Add roughly chopped strawberries and beat until combined.
6. Gently fold prepared Dream Whip into the strawberry mixture until fully combined. Pour into a decorative serving dish or individual serving pieces such as ramekins, parfait glasses, etc. Chill in the refrigerator until set. 
7. OR you can can go old-school and chill in a gelatin mold and invert onto a serving platter before serving. Go ahead, make my Geema proud. :)

*Can be served with a dollop of whipped cream on top, if desired.