This is one of those little portioned desserts I make all the time in the summer, whenever I want something light and cool and refreshing. Bright cubes of jello suspended in a creamy sour cream base, served up in individual cups so everyone gets their own. My kids call it the broken glass dessert because of how the colorful pieces catch the light when you dig your spoon in. It looks so pretty that people assume it came from a bakery, but it honestly could not be easier to put together.
- 3 boxes flavored jello, different colors (about 3 oz each, Jell-O works great)
- about ¾ to 1 cup hot water per box of jello
- 2 cups full-fat sour cream (or 1 cup sour cream plus 1¼ cups plain yogurt)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2½ tablespoons unflavored gelatin (about 3 packets)
- ⅓ cup cold water, for the gelatin
Start with the colored jello. Dissolve each box separately in its hot water, stirring well until it’s completely dissolved. Let each one cool to room temperature, then pour them into separate shallow dishes and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until firm.
Once the jello is fully set, cut it into small cubes. Gently mix the different colors together and divide them among clear serving cups.
Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the cold water and let it sit to bloom. Meanwhile, stir the room-temperature sour cream together with the powdered sugar until smooth.
Warm the bloomed gelatin gently in the microwave or over a water bath until it’s fully liquid, but don’t let it boil. Here’s the important trick: stir a few spoonfuls of the sour cream mixture into the warm gelatin first, mix it well, then pour that back into the rest of the sour cream in a thin stream while stirring constantly. This keeps the gelatin from seizing into little lumps.
Pour the sour cream base over the jello cubes in each cup. Refrigerate for a few hours until completely set.
The broken glass dessert comes out tender, bright, and so pretty in the cups. It’s the perfect light summer treat, easy to serve, and it looks like something straight from a pastry shop.