Layered Jell-O Hearts

In a small bowl, gently mix together sweetened condensed milk with the corresponding amount of hot water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together 3 of the envelopes of unflavored gelatin with the corresponding amount of hot water. Mix well. Add this into the milk mixture. Add a drop of red or pink food paste and stir to make the milk mixture a light pink color. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the packages strawberry Jell-O and the remaining 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin with the corresponding amount of hot water. Stir well to dissolve the gelatin crystals.

Pour 1/3 of the strawberry Jell-O mixture into an 8″x12″ baking dish. Place the dish into the freezer on a level surface for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm. Be careful not to freeze the Jell-O. You just want it in the freezer long enough to cause it to firm up. Once it has firmed, remove the dish from the freezer and pour half of the milk mixture over the Jell-O layer. Place the dish back into the freezer until set. Once the milk layer has set, pour another 1/3 of the strawberry Jell-O over the milk layer and return the dish to the freezer. Once set, add the rest of the milk mixture and return the dish to the freezer. Once set, pour the rest of the Jell-O in a final layer and then refrigerate for several hours.

Once the layered Jell-O has completely set, remove it from the freezer and use a thin metal spatula to run along the sides and bottom of the pan to loosen the bottom layer of Jell-O. You can also run the knife along the edges of the pan and insert the bottom of the pan in hot water for about 30 seconds to release the Jell-O from the bottom. Use a sharp metal cookie cutter that you’ve lightly sprayed with cooking spray to cut heart shapes out of the Jell-O. Gently lift the heart shapes out of the pan. Enjoy!