It was fun to make, fun to have, and now you can't get it commercially anymore. The only way to get anywhere close to it is by trolling the internet. Somehow this brings up memories of my ill-fated trip to New England a few years back.

But no, what we're talking about today is Jell-O 1-2-3.

Three layers of increasingly opaque dessert goodness that makes you forget entirely that its derived from ground-up animal bones. And, cue the poorly misinformed vegan spit-take.

I'll go ahead and make the point now that not much information is freely available about the product beyond memory, so come with me now on a fictitious origin tale.  Pale and pastel were the big craze in the Sonny Crockett 80s, and the scientists at Jell-O noticed that all their products were these big, bold, bright colors. So one day, in the lab, Mr. & Mrs. Jell-O Scientist put their heads and hearts together...trust me, it helps the story if they're married. It endears you to them. Anyway, the Scientists wanted an answer to the question, "how can we make our dessert more pale and retain its jiggly goodness?"

Here's where the truth begins.  In the early 1970s, Jell-O 1-2-3 was introduced to the marketplace with several other new creations.  These included Jell-O Whip 'n Chill, which was a variety of mousse, and prepackaged pudding called Jell-O Pudding Treats.  Jell-O 1-2-3 came in a specially formulated powder that magically separated into 3 very defined layers.  The bottom layer was normal Jell-O, while the top two layers were classified as "topping."

It came in two flavors at my neighborhood Safeway--Strawberry and Orange. I had this strange fascination at my young age with all things orange--I'm sure I have no clue where that came from *ahem* Nickelodeon *ahem*. So I eagerly begged my grandmother to buy a package.

Back at home she set me down in front of said cable network--perhaps to avoid me pestering her in the kitchen, which she was right to. But this means I didn't see her mix and dole out the liquid before putting it in the refrigerator.

She also failed to put it in clear glasses. Instead mine was served to me some 4 hours later in a gaudy yellow plastic glass. I learned later the glass came free in a bag of dog food, but that's a story for another time. I did manage to slide mine out onto a plate, so I could at least see the layers. My my my, it was exciting! White, pale orange, ORRRRRRANNNNGE. Yummy nummy in the tummy.

It pained me in my researching of all things '80s to learn that Jell-O discontinued the 1-2-3 line some years ago. It made me shed a little tear, to be honest. Go ahead and laugh if you like, but I'm secure enough to embrace my desserts emotionally.

I was, however, pleased to learn that parent company Kraft had SO many email requests from others like me, similarly disenchanted with the loss of three-layered gelatin goodness, that they devised a recipe to best recreate the 1-2-3 experience using whipped cream and a standard box of Jell-O.

Oh, you know we had to.

Your Jell-O 1-2-3 adventure starts off by boiling water.  Similar adventures include preparing for the birth of puppies.  A surprisingly small amount of water is needed to make Jell-O 1-2-3.

The next step is to combine the Jell-O powder and the boiling water in a blender, which causes a horrendous chemical reaction full of steam and sizzling noises.  If you think I'm joking, go make this stuff.

After your strawberry molten lava is created, you must combine it with the whipped cream, which acts somehow as your separating agent in making the 3 layers. Now you're left with a lukewarm Ghostbusters Ecto-Plazm.

After refrigerating for 30 minutes, this is what it looks like:

Jell-O 1-2-3 LIVES!! There are 3 very defined layers (that perhaps didn't photograph as well as I'd hoped, but you can still see them) that each have a different texture and taste.  The top layer is pure foam, sort of like a mousse.  The next layer is a creamy layer that definitely has the taste of whipped cream in it.  And the last layer is the old standby, the straight Jell-O. 

Jell-O 1-2-3 is a tasty triple-threat with a legacy to be reckoned with.  Those who remember it loved it well, those who don't, well, probably grew up to get real jobs and move out of their parents' houses. 

Here's the recipe so you can make your own Jell-O 1-2-3 at home! (Courtesy of KraftFoods)

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Chase (article), Josh (recipe/photos), 11/9/08

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