Jewel-shaped bites of Pear Cosmopolitan - perfect for a "Girl's Night In" . . .
A new barkeep/mixologist friend mentioned in passing concocting a pear cosmopolitan via a swap of cran for white cran and orange vodka for pear flavored. Being crazy for all things pear, we couldn't resist a little experimentation with our existing cosmo jelly shot recipe. The result is a not-too-sweet, mild and undeniably nosh-able jelly shot!
The jewel shaped jelly shots pictured above were set in a specialty ice cube tray. Although the end result is really cute, it was a bit difficult to achieve. The tray is constructed with a constrictive band around each mold cavity, which differs from a normal ice cube tray or silicon baking mold. No problem if unmolding a hard ice cube, but jelly shots are a bit more yielding and delicate. Not surprisingly, several jelly shots were maimed in the initial unmolding process. This difficulty was remedied with a few discreet cuts to the upper band of the tray. (I filled the trays up with water after the cutting/unmolding, and leakage was almost nonexistant - so I definitely plan to use the trays again.) Kerekes also distributes a very nice faceted jewel mold which I have used in the past with good results.
Another serving option is to set the jelly shots in a loaf pan, cut into squares, and garnish each with a sliver of pear.
Enjoy!
Cheers, Michelle
Pear Cosmopolitan Jelly Shots
Recommended Pan: Standard Loaf Pan (approximately 8” x 4”)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white cranberry juice cocktail
- ¾ cup pear flavored vodka (we used Grey Goose)
- 1/8 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed and strained
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/4 cup Cointreau
- 2 envelopes Knox gelatin (if using molds, add 1/2 envelope additional gelatin. 1/2 envelope equals about a teaspoon of gelatin powder.)
- Sliced pear for garnish, if desired
Pour cranberry and lime juices into a saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak for a few minutes. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the liquors, making sure to fully incorporate. Pour into pan, and chill until set, several hours or overnight.
To serve, cut into shapes. Garnish with sliced pear, if desired. Makes 18 to 24 shots.
