Valentine Jelly Pops

Four little Valentines Jelly Pops, all in a row!

Hello all!  Hope 2012 is treating you kindly, and if not, hope you are taking the situation in hand and whacking the wayward year upside the head with your jelly shot pan!  And after all that pretty pretty talk, it's time for a topic change . . . to thoughts of love and smooching.  To Valentines . . .

I made these little jelly pops for Tablespoon.com last year, and thought they would be a festive little kick off to our JSTK holiday lineup.  (And yes, it's a diversionary tactic while I try to think of a good jelly shot for President's Day.  Its tough!  Any ideas!)   I find the little pops so adorable, but as we've discussed, I do have a weakness for jelly-on-a-stick.  (The recipe is kid-friendly, but of course, these jellies would be lovely in a higher octane as well - just prepare the layers with less water, and then add vodka or liqueur as the last step.)

Hope you enjoy!  I've got something fun planned for the weekend.  Here's a hint: it's based on an iconic, cream-filled dreamy cake-y delight.  Oh, and I'm adding booze.  Don't fuss - I'll have it posted before you know it!  

XOXOX

Michelle

Valentines Jelly Pops

Ingredients:

Red Layer

1/2 cup boiling water

1 3 oz package strawberry flavored gelatin dessert (sugar free dissolves very easily)

1/2 cup cold water

Pink Layer

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 envelopes plain gelatin

1 6 oz container strawberry yogurt

White Layer

1/3 cup cold water

1 envelope less 1/2 tsp plain gelatin

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

8 each wooden coffee stirrers, cut into 2 inch lengths for garnish, if desired

Instructions:

These pops are super cute whether they’re made in a silicon mold (I used this cute little baba mold), or set in a baking pan (I'd use a standard loaf pan - about 8" x 4") and cut into squares.  If using a silicone mold, prepare mold by spraying lightly with cooking spray, then wiping each mold cavity clean with a paper towel. This will leave a slight residue to aid in un-molding without affecting the taste or appearance of the jelly pops. If setting in a glass or non-reactive metal baking pan, no prep is needed.  The instructions below are for molds - so if you're setting in a pan, just pour in the layers!  

Red Layer: Dissolve strawberry gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water. Pour 1 tsp. of the gelatin into each mold cavity. Refrigerate until firm but not fully set (should be fairly firm, but still slightly sticky when touched - about 20 minutes). While the red layer is chilling, prepare Pink Layer.

Pink Layer: Pour water into small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Allow to cool to room temperature – you may want to pop the gelatin in the fridge or freezer for a minute or two to help it along. Pour 1 tbsp into each mold cavity. Refrigerate until firm but not fully set (should be fairly firm, but still slightly sticky when touched - about 15 to 20 minutes). While the pink layer is chilling, Prepare White Layer.

White Layer: Pour water into a small saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes). Stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Allow to cool to room temperature. Pour approximately 2 tsp. into each mold cavity.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight, until fully set. (Overnight is ideal as it allows the layers to fully bond.) Garnish each jelly pop with a coffee stirrer segment to make the “popsicle” handle, if desired.

Makes about 15 jellies.  

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Polyjuice Potion Jelly Mold (non-alcoholic)

Polyjuice Potion Gelatin - set a cutesy little mold, garnished with smiling gummy worms . . .

Here's a quick remix of our old pal, Polyjuice Potion Jelly Shot.  And this one's non-alcoholic, for the kiddlos.  Looking for something more, well, BOOZETASTIC?  Don't fuss - just click here for the alcoholic version!


Massive spooky XOXOX's to you all!  M.

Polyjuice Potion Jelly Shots

Ginger Ale mixture
1 cup ginger ale
1 envelope plain gelatin

Pineapple mixture
1 cup canned pineapple juice (fresh won't work - the enzymes in fresh pineapple interfere with the gelatin)
1 envelope plain gelatin

Lime mixture
1/2 cup water
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/2 cup lime sherbet, melted

First, prep the mold (I used a 3-cup volume mini bundt pan) by lightly spraying with cooking spray.  Then wipe the mold cavities out with a clean paper towel. This method will leave just the slightest residue, which will help unmold the gelatin without affecting the taste or appearance.  


Prepare the three gelatin mixes as follows:

• Ginger Ale: Pour the ginger ale in a medium saucepan.  Sprinkle with the gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat.  
• Pineapple: Pour the pineapple juice in a medium saucepan.  Sprinkle with the gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat.  
• Lime: Pour the water in a medium saucepan.  Sprinkle with the gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Stir in the melted sherbet.

Pour each mixture into a separate bowl and refrigerate until partially set.  (Just starting to change from liquid to solid - about 20 to 25 minutes.)

Give each mixture a quick stir.  It should be a thick, but still liquid.  Clumpy is fine for this method!! Drop alternating spoonfuls of the three mixtures into the pan, until all the gelatin has been transferred.  Refrigerate until fully set (at least 6 hours or overnight - extra time is needed for the gelatins to bond).



To unmold, fill a large container or sink with warm water (not too hot!).  With clean fingers, loosen the gelatin around the edges of the pan/mold.  Next, dip the mold almost to the edge into the warm water for just a few seconds (10 seconds is usually a good start for larger molds, and 5 for individual). Dry the bottom of the mold with a towel and check the edges to ensure they have loosened up.  (If not, repeat the dip for just a few seconds.) Place your serving plate on top of the mold and invert.   

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Candy Corn Jello

Candy Corn Jello . . . its true . . . I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

I'm back!  Have been out of the Test Kitchen dealing with book-related issues/scenarios/tasks. . . its really coming along - fast and furious!  Such a hullabaloo has ensued that  was worried I wouldn't be able to post again before Halloween.  Which would have been a shame, as there is one more kid-friendly Halloween treat up my sleeve . . . Candy Corn Jello!  Aren't they cute? Yummy too - a creamsicle-like concoction of orange jello and a sweetened condensed milk based gelatin - so creamy and good!

Recipe follows.
Enjoy!  (And rest assured I'll be back with some adult treats soon . . .)

Cheers,

Michelle

Candy Corn Jello

Prepare a flexible silicon pyramid mold (we like this one from Kerekes) by spraying lightly with PAM cooking spray, or wiping each mold cavity with a little vegetable oil.  Follow by wiping each mold cavity with a clean paper towel.  This method will leave the slightest reside which will aid in un-molding the gelatin without affecting the taste or appearance of your gelatin. 

Place the mold on a stable, movable flat surface, such as a cookie sheet or cooling rack (make sure it fits into your refrigerator). 

Prepare milk layer.

Milk layer

1 cup water

2 envelopes Knox gelatin

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz can)

Pour water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with the gelatin.  Allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the sweetened condensed milk.

Transfer the mixture to a microwave safe bowl.  Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of the condensed milk mixture into each mold cavity.  Place the mold in the refrigerator and chill until fully set, about 30 minutes.  Make sure you over the bowl with the remaining milk mixture with cellophane.  Wrap a towel around the bowl to further conserve heat. 

Prepare the orange layer

Orange Layer

1 cup water

1 envelope Knox gelatin

1 box orange flavored gelatin dessert mix

Pour water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with the Knox gelatin.  Allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Add the orange gelatin dessert mix and stir until fully dissolved. 

Spoon about a tablespoon of the orange gelatin mixture into each mold cavity, over the chilled white layer.  Return the mold to the refrigerator and chill until fully set, about 40 minutes. 

When the orange layer is fully set, unwrap your bowl containing the milk gelatin mixture, and stir in a few drops of yellow food coloring.  If the mixture is clumpy, microwave it for 15-20 seconds (make sure it doesn’t get too hot, or it will melt the set gelatin). 

Spoon in a teaspoon or two of the yellow milk gelatin mixture into the mold cavities.  You can fill to the top.  Refrigerate until fully set.  These little beauties can be made a day in advance. 

To serve, unmold.  

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Jellied Eyeballs (non-alcoholic)

Eye See U!  Jellied Eyeballs gaze out of their little cupcake wrappers . . . . 

This picture cracks me up. I love the glistening little eyeballs in the cupcake wrappers - its a juxtaposition of so warped and so sweet . . .

Those who have been following the blog for a while will recall that this is our second Halloween pass at the eyeball theme - last year we featured an adult, full blown alcoholic Kamikaze jelly shot recipe. Feedback was that a non-alcoholic version would be great for children's Halloween parties, so here it is.  The recipe is simply . . . white cranberry or white grape juice with plain gelatin.  Kinda deceptively healthy, isn't it?  You could also use 50/50 lemon-lime soda and juice . . .


Our technique has gotten sharper too - use of our trusty half-hemisphere mold ups the optical creepiness factor tenfold!

Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Michelle

Jellied Eyeballs

Implements:  cotton swab or small paintbrush, 1/2 inch diameter round cookie cutter, a little PAM or vegetable oil (for the molds), paper towels
Pan: hemisphere mold (1 mold, 15 cavities), two small dishes (mini-loaf pans work well)

Ingredients:

3 cups white cranberry or white grape juice
4 envelopes Knox gelatin
Green and Blue food coloring

Prepare the hemisphere mold.  Spray a little PAM on a paper towel, and wipe each mold cavity.  Then, wipe each mold cavity with a clean paper towel.  This will leave the very slightest residue which will assist in unmolding but won't effect the taste of your jelly shots.  (Note, if you are substuting agar agar for gelatin, it is unnecessary to prepare the molds.  Agar agar won't set in the presence of oil - but don't worry, you won't need it - agar agar unmolds very cleanly!)  


Place juice in saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin.  Allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over very low heat until the gelatin is dissolved.  (About 5 minutes.)  Remove from heat.


You will need two 1/2 cup portions of the gelatin mixture for the "iris" portions of the eyeballs.  Pour one into each mini loaf pans. Add a few drops of food coloring in desired eye colors (we used blue and green) into each, mix well. Place pans in freezer, allow to quick set (approximately 15 to 20 minutes), until firm but not frozen. 

Reserve the remaining gelatin mixture in container on counter. 

When the the colored gelatin has set, cut out circles with the small 1/2 inch diameter cookie cutter (these will be the “irises”). Transfer the colored circles to a non-stick plate or cookie sheet. Dab a round dot in the center each using the blue food coloring. Place the plate in the refrigerator and allow the food coloring to set for a few minutes (until no longer shiny). 

Check the reserved gelatin mixture.  It should be room temperature, but not set. 


Spoon about a teaspoon of gelatin into each mold cavity.  Retrieve the colored gelatin circles from the refrigerator.  Place one in each mold cavity, dot side down.  Fill to the top with the remaining gelatin mixture.  Chill mold in refrigerator, until fully set, several hours or overnight.  


To serve, unmold and garnish as desired.  


Yield: 15 jellied eyeballs

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