Pineapple Cherry Minis

This recipe comes from an advertisement and coupon brochure put out by Dole. If you think the title sounds good you have already underestimated how delicious this recipe turns out.

12-14 servings

2 x 10 minute time periods separated by about 30 minutes
45-75 minutes to set


You'll need:
1 can (20 oz) Crushed Pineapple
2 cans (6 oz) each Pineapple Juice
2 packages (3 oz each) Cherry Flavored Gelatin
1 cup frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, quartered and drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Drain crushed pineapple, reserve juice. Heat reserved juice plus canned pineapple juice to boiling. Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes to completely dissolve. Chill until mixture thickens slightly. Fold in pineapple, cherries and pecans. Spoon mixture into 12 - 14 foil lined muffin cups, lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Chill until firm. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Review and Suggestions:
When I first read this recipe I thought it sounded good, but even with this expectation I was very impressed with the end result. The pineapple juice really ties the recipe together. One major con of this recipe is the sheer amount of sugar contained despite not being overwhelmingly sweet.

1. Don't make the mistake I made. After mixing in the gelatin, immediately REMOVE the pot from heat to avoid a messy boil-over!
2. The use of nuts in this recipe really makes me happy. First, I really like nuts, and second they add both a additional texture and nutrients. Pecans can be substituted for walnuts or even almonds. However, note that pecans and walnuts will blend in more easily in both flavor and texture. I personally prefer the walnuts.
3. I did not use frozen cherries. I don't have the time or patience to wait for cherries to thaw or the interest in  quartering at least 20 cherries. I strongly recommend using dried cherries. Quick, easy and add a bit of chewiness to the Jello.
4. The spooning the mixture into the foil lined muffin cups can be a challenge. Be inovative unless you desire a mess!
5. Speaking of the foiled cups: I was no reason to use cooking spray unless you desire to serve the Mini without it's wrapper. I was perfectly happy placing the foil wrapped mini in a custard bowl to serve.

Possible variations:
Use Pineapple-Orange Juice instead of Pineapple Juice (they do indeed sell it!)
Nuts are optional, but see suggestion #2
Orange zest
Orange Jello instead of Cherry Jello
Lemon Jello and replace the cherries with blended mandarin oranges
a touch of ground nutmeg
Etc...