Gelatin Parfaits

• A simple parfait makes a quick and inexpensive dessert option for kids and adults alike. Kids will especially enjoy looking that the different layers through a clear glass goblet. Layer colorful gelatin cubes with whipped cream or whipped topping, along with layers of fresh fruit to make this a healthy dessert. Gelatin flavors such as strawberry and cherry pair well with vanilla pudding in a creamy parfait. If you want to make a parfait extra fun for kids, try an ocean themed parfait. Use blue gelatin as the base for the parfait with whipped topping to give the impression of foamy waves. Add blue gummy sharks or gummy fish to complete the aquatic theme.

Panna Cotta

• Panna cotta is like the fancier cousin of a fruit gelatin parfait or pudding dessert. Panna cotta, which translates to "cooked cream," is a dessert made with sugar, gelatin, and a dairy product such as milk or cream. Heavy cream results in a thick consistency similar to custard, while panna cotta with milk is soft and delicate. Try using both milk and cream to achieve a consistency somewhere in the middle. You can flavor panna cotta easily by cooking it with fruit puree. Alternatively, pour plain panna cotta into the goblets, allowing it to set up for about an hour. Top it with your choice of fresh fruit or a fruit sauce.

Halloween Theme

• A variety of spooky Halloween desserts can be made with fruit gels and puddings made from gelatin. Cook red fruit gel and set it up in a goblet to resemble a goblet full of blood. Stick some gummy worms along the sides of the goblets and fill the goblets with green fruit gel to give the appearance of worm-filled green slime. Fill the goblet with chocolate pudding and gummy worms. Top it off with crushed chocolate cookies to resemble dirt and a half rectangular cookie to complete a dirt and graveyard themed goblet.

For Adults Only

• Use colored fruit gel to make after dinner dessert just as exciting as cocktail hour. When mixing the fruit gelatin, add some clear alcohol, such as vodka, gin or rum to make a dessert for adults. The amount of alcohol to use is up to you, but a standard shot size of 1-1/2 ounces per goblet works well. Another option is to soak fresh fruit in an alcohol of your choice for several hours, allowing the fruit to soak up the alcohol before mixing it with the gelatin dessert. Serve the alcoholic gelatin dessert plain or top it with a swirl of whipped cream.