Ho Ho Ho . . . Santa's Hat Jelly Shots
Holiday WHIRLWIND! Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I meant to get this post up before Christmas, as the recipe is fun, timely and topical. Unfortunately, I was precluded from blogging activities due to a particularly awful phenom known as the "Ice Dam". What is an Ice Dam? It's a good question. I did not know myself until a few days ago. There are several components of an Ice Dam, each seemingly harmless on its own - snow on the roof, relatively mild and sunny winter weather, occasional blasts of bitter cold, frozen gutters, and giant (but rather picturesque) icicles hanging off the house.
The intersection of this particular set of conditions, for reasons I do not entirely comprehend, results in lots of ice cold water trickling through the roof INSIDE the house - into the walls, the windows, the moldings.
While I have been inside strategically placing plastic cups and towels and having the occasional hyper conniption fit, my husband has been outside on a ladder, wielding roof scrapers and ice picks and shovels and all manner of tools. Today he was able to procure some Roof Melt - white hockey pucks of calcium based salt. The roof is now festooned with Roof Melt knotted in strands of pantyhose. Yes, it is an abomination, and I am dying inside. However, it will likely be weeks before the roofers can come to steam the room and gutters. And, hideous as it is, relief is in sight - the Roof Melt does appear to be working!
My family did manage to have an excellent Christmas. My stepson turned 13 on Christmas eve! He is so giant and grown up now. It makes me a little weepy. My family exchanged lots of wonderful presents, ate fantastically unhealthy food and just generally enjoyed spending time together.
I am especially thankful this holiday season for all of you that follow and visit Jelly Shot Test Kitchen! I absolutely delight in every note and comment, positive, negative or neutral. Thank you so very much for caring, and I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, wherever you are . . .
Hope you enjoy these Santa Hat Jelly Shots. The Santa Hat cocktail was quite hot ticket this year, making the rounds entertaining blogs to a feature on the Today Show! It's quite good - very light - definitely a crowd pleaser. I cut down the ratio of grenadine in the Jelly Shot version as the cranberry and Malibu are pretty sweet already, and there is a higher degree of coconut garnish on the jelly shot than the cocktail!
Cheers, and Happy Holidays!
XOXOX
Michelle
Santa’s Hat Jelly Shots
Difficulty: Easy
Recommended Pan: flexible silicone mold, pyramid shape (I used this one!)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail
- 3 envelopes Knox gelatin, separated (You will need 2 1/2 envelopes for the recipe, and an additional half for assembly. 1/2 envelope equals about a teaspoon of gelatin powder)
- 3/4 cup Malibu coconut flavored rum
- 1 to 2 tbsp grenadine syrup (to taste)
- For garnish: 1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut and assembly gelatin (1/2 cup water and 1/2 envelope gelatin)
Pour cranberry juice into a small saucepan. Sprinkle with 2 1/2 envelopes of gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved (approximately 5 minutes). Stir in the Malibu rum. Add the grenadine syrup, to taste. Pour into molds and chill until fully set, several hours or overnight.
In a food processor or blender, process the coconut just until it is in smaller flakes. (Large flakes won't stick to the jelly shots as well.) Set aside.
An hour or two before serving, prepare the assembly gelatin by pouring the water in a saucepan and sprinkling with 1/2 envelope of gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until dissolved. Allow gelatin to cool to room temperature before proceeding.
Pour the cooled gelatin and coconut into separate small, shallow bowls.
Unmold the gelatin pyramids onto a nonstick cookie sheet.
Using a fork, dip the bottom and part-way up the sides of the jelly shot into first into the gelatin mixture, then the coconut. Continue with all the jelly shots, placing each back on the nonstick cookie sheet.
Return the jelly shots to the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
