I have to admit it’s been a while since I bought Jell-O, but two small boxes of the artificially-flavored Island Pineapple made it into my shopping cart today.  They were a necessary ingredient for the Aloha Pineapple Cream Squares we had for dessert tonight while watching the second-to-last episode of Mad Men.  I have just loved this show – and it’s been a lot of fun culling through my mom’s recipe books looking for fitting foods to match the times.

This dessert epitomizes the ’60s – from the Jell-O to the fact that it actually takes time to prepare.  This really would have been considered a time-saving recipe in its day, but because of refrigeration and cooling times, it took several hours from start to fork.

This really is the kind of stuff my mom used to make – and this particular recipe is written out in her hand.  I don’t know how or where it came from.  It may have been on the back of a Jell-O box or she may have taken three recipes and combined them.  She was good at doing that.  All I do know is it was really good!

There was a surprise for me, though.  The final step is to pour a “family-sized” box of cooled Jell-O over the cream layer after it has refrigerated for 4 hours.  I thought it would add a top layer of Jell-O.  It actually seeped under the cream and created a layer between the cookie crust and the cream.  1960s magic.

The recipe states any flavor of Jell-O.  I went with pineapple to stay with my theme.

And it does make a lot.

Only one more week of Mad Men.  I guess I’ll just have to drown my sorrows with Italian Food.  In Italy!