Metroid Jello Desserts
Overview Recipe Photos




Overview

Some time ago, I was looking up Matroids as reference material for my studies. As there was only a one character difference, I also decided to look up Metroids. Metroids are said to "...consist of a jelly-like substance (Similar to jellyfish) encasing a set of nuclei similar in appearance to raspberries". This immediately inspired me to create the dessert version that is literally a jelly body encasing several raspberry nuclei.


Recipe

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. Make the first package of gelatin, per directions on package.
  2. Fill the cups of a new, very clean 12-muffin muffin tin 1/3 full of gelatin. Discard the extra, if any.
  3. Put the muffin tin of gelatin in the fridge to set.
  4. Make the brownie mix, per directions on the package.
  5. Put muffin cups in a second 12-muffin muffin tin, and put 2 tbsp (or one really heaping tbsp) of brownie mix into each cup. Bake per directions minus five minutes.
  6. Unwrap the brownie-muffins as soon as possible and place on cooling racks. If this is delayed, the paper cups will be welded to the muffins and will have to be shaved off with a knife.
  7. Wash the raspberries.
  8. Remove the muffin tin full of gelatin (now set) from the fridge, and carefully arrange three raspberries in the middle of each cup as the Metroid nuclei. Take care to shake remaining water out of the raspberries before placing them (otherwise the water interferes with the next layer of gelatin setting).
  9. Make the second package of gelatin, per directions on the package.
  10. Carefully add gelatin to each Metroid cup, until the raspberries are almost covered. Don't cover them completely, as they'll just float.
  11. Return the muffin tin of gelatin to the fridge to set. Do this slowly and carefully to avoid disturbing the raspberries.
  12. Prepare six sets of Metroid fangs from the three bananas. Each set (two pairs per set) is made by quartering the tip of a banana, and trimming the result into one large and one small pair of fangs.
  13. When the gelatin has set, use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the gelatin bodies free from their cups. This is done in one smooth motion, with the knife scraping the edge of the muffin tins.
  14. Lay down a large sheet of waxed paper, and flip the muffin tin over onto the sheet. Knock repeatedly on the back of each tin to encourage the gelatin to drop down onto the sheet.
  15. Carefully lift the muffin tin and turn it right side up again. Some of the gelatin bodies won't have separated; set the tin aside, for a later attempt after the ones that did separate have been dealt with.
  16. Cut the sheet of waxed paper so as to leave each separated gelatin body on its own small sheet. Set aside ones that have broken or are otherwise unsuitable for use as Metroid bodies.
  17. For each intact gelatin body, prepare a Metroid base for it to sit on, by spreading jam on top of a brownie, placing this on a small plate, and arranging large and small fangs around the brownie.
  18. Transfer each intact gelatin body on to its Metroid base as follows:
    1. Cut a small rectangle of waxed paper, and place it on top of the gelatin body.
    2. Using the original piece of waxed paper underneath the gelatin body, slide the gelatin body onto your hand.
    3. Placing the other hand over the gelatin body on the new piece of waxed paper, flip over the gelatin body (turning it upside-down). Peel off the original piece of waxed paper from the under-side.
    4. Holding the gelatin body and the Metroid plate each at a slight angle, bring the lower edge of the gelatin body to the edge of the brownie in the Metroid base, and then quickly (and gently) flip the gelatin body over on to the base. Take care that the gelatin body is well centered, or else it'll break after sitting for a few minutes from the stresses.
  19. Once all gelatin bodies that separated from the tin have been dealt with, spread a new sheet of waxed paper and try to separate more gelatin bodies. Repeat several times, until as many gelatin bodies have been separated (intact) as possible.
  20. Serve Metroids immediately. Some Metroids will break if stored for any length of time, and they're delicate enough to not survive transport anywhere.

Yield:

Makes 4 Metroids, on average. 12 if a miracle occurs.


Photos

Overview Recipe Photos


Gelatin before removal from tins.


Brownie muffins, cooling. These were unwisely left in their wrappers to cool.


Gelatin bodies that didn't make the cut.


Gelatin doesn't separate from its moulds very easily.


Metroid base, before the gelatin is added.


A broken Metroid! The gelatin body has to be centered, as overhanging parts can split due to stress.


This Metroid didn't break.


Metroids like muffins too.