Duvalín Jello

Step 1

In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and 1 cup (240 ml) water and set aside for about 5 minutes so the gelatin can bloom. Coat a 10-cup (2.5 liter) Bundt pan or jello mold lightly with cooking spray and set aside.

Step 2

In a blender, combine the strawberries, half-and-half, and sugar and blend on high until the mixture is smooth, 20 to 30 seconds. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan). Warm slightly over medium heat—you want to warm up the mixture just enough to melt the gelatin, but not enough to boil and curdle the mixture. Once warm, reduce the heat to low and add about one-third of the bloomed gelatin (it should be like a big chunk of an eraser after it’s bloomed). Stir occasionally until the gelatin has dissolved. To make this layer pinker, whisk in a drop or two of red gel food coloring.

Step 3

Pour the strawberry gelatin mixture layer into the Bundt pan or mold. Place the pan in the fridge to set for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Rinse out the saucepan to have it ready for the next layer.

Step 4

After the strawberry layer has been setting for 1 hour, in the saucepan combine the half-and-half, sugar and cinnamon stick and heat over low heat to just under a simmer. Remove from the heat over low heat to just under a simmer. Remove from the heat and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to let the cinnamon stick steep, then use a slotted spoon to remove it. Rewarm slightly over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, then add half of the remaining bloomed gelatin and stir until it’s dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract, remove from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, so it does not melt the strawberry layer.

Step 5

Carefully pour the room temperature vanilla layer into the Bundt pan or mold over the strawberry layer and return to the refrigerator for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Rinse out the saucepan to have it ready for the next layer.

Step 6

After the two layers have been setting for 1 hour, in a saucepan, bring the half-and-half to just under a simmer over low heat. Add the Nutella and whisk until it melts and resembles hot chocolate. Add the final bit of the bloomed gelatin and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, so it does not melt the other layers.

Step 7

Carefully pour the room-temperature chocolate layer into the Bundt pan or mold over the vanilla layer and return it to the refrigerator for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Step 8

When you’re ready to serve, use your fingertips to carefully put the gelatin away from the edge of the pan, or run a thin knife along the perimeter and invert the desert onto a serving platter.