Gumball Jelly Shot

Who's that with the gorgeously ghoulish toothy grin?  Why it's Gumball Jelly Shot, of course!

Happy Halloween-ish weekend everyone!  I'm celebrating with a candy-themed jelly shot and a cheery little skull mold.  Actually, its a silicone ice cube tray - here's the link - manufacturer is Wilton, and it was stocked at my local craft store (and probably is at yours too!).  Link here. . .

The recipe was initially for a Black Gumball Jelly Shot, based on bubblegum vodka a touch of black Sambuca liqueur.  During testing, it came to my attention that a black gumball is a love-it-or-hate-it affair.
So I experimented with other liqueurs - various "pucker" flavors, and a cinnamon.  The recipe worked beautifully, and its fun to have lots of different colors of gumballs, don't you think?  The only caveat is to use a light hand with the liqueurs - you don't want to lose the delicate, Bazooka Joe flavor of the bubble gum vodka!

XO, Michelle

Gumball Cocktail Jelly Shot

• 1 1/3 cup lemon-lime soda
• 2 1/2 - 3 envelopes plain Knox gelatin (about 5 tsp to 6 tsp gelatin powder - varies depending on time the jelly shots are expected to sit out before they are consumed.  5 if not that long, 6 if maybe will be out for a while.)
• 2/3 cup bubble gum flavored vodka
• 2 tbsp flavored liqueur (I made 4 colors: Sambuca - black; berry pucker - blue; apple pucker - green; and cinnamon - red)

First, prepare the silicon molds with a light application of 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. Place each mold on a cookie sheet or cooling rack to provide a stable surface for handling.

Pour the soda into a saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin.  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 the bubblegum vodka.  (If making several colors, first stir in the bubblegum vodka, then separate into bowls as desired and add stir in the appropriate ratio of liqueurs for each part.)

Pour the gelatin mixture into the molds, and refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight.


To serve, unmold, loosen the edges by pulling away from the side of the mold, and just pop each jelly shot out. 

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Summer Ginger Smash

Summer Ginger Smash - the best cocktail ingredients, including fancy rum and 

maraschino liqueur, held together with the barest smattering of mixers.  

I am away this week, so Intern Doug is manning the Test Kitchen solo . . . or so I thought.  Apparently, Intern Doug has been doing some hiring in my absence!  I was not sure whether to be proud of his initiative or frightened by his bold staffing moves until I saw Summer Ginger Smash -
the super fab pineapple and rum infused collaboration with new Assistant Intern James!  Well, perhaps its time to slacken Intern Doug's leash a notch.  (Oh, and lest I forget, welcome aboard Asst. Intern James!!)


Thanks guys for the hard work, wonderful recipe and beautiful photo!  (oh, and, Doug, I'll see you in my office upon my return . . .)


XO Michelle


P.S.  The cocktail inspiration for this jelly shot was taken from a recipe in the gorgeous and inspiring

Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined - a book we Love Love Love, and also adore.  

Summer Ginger Smash

A quick word from Intern Doug: I enlisted brand-spanking-new Assistant Intern James to craft this delectable delight.  Finding exactly the right ingredients and quantities for this jelly shot proved to be quite challenging.  However, after much perseverance, we are proud to bring this Ginger Smash recipe to the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen.

Difficulty:  Moderate

Recommended Pan:  1-pound loaf pan (approximately 8” x 4”/20 x 10 cm)

Implements:  Muddler

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup canned pineapple juice (fresh pineapple juice won’t gel)
• 1/4 cup Bakers Ultrafine Sugar
• 12 thin slices of Ginger Root
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 envelopes Knox gelatin
• 1/4 cup Maraschino Liquor
• 1/4 cup Apfel – German Apple Schnapps
• 3/4 cup 10 Cane Rum
• Thin sliced Pineapple and crystalized Ginger strips for garnish, if desired (recipe below)

Cut 12 thin slices of ginger root and muddle with 1/4 cup of Maraschino liquor and strain.   Add the Apfel and 10 Can Rum and set aside.  Pour water, canned pineapple juice (fresh won’t gel), lime juice and sugar into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat until gelatin is dissolved, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.  Add the Maraschino muddled mix, Apfel and Rum and stir into the gelatin mixture. Pour mixture into loaf pan or molds. Place in refrigerator to set (several hours or overnight).

To serve, cut into desired shapes.  Garnish with thin slices of crystallized Ginger strips if desired.

Makes 18 to 24 jelly shots.

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"Butterbeer" Jelly Shots

Potter-rific Butterbeer Jelly Shots on Wands! Alert Hogwarts!

Butterbeer Jelly Shot anyone? Yeah, I thought so ... aren't they cute?

Important serving tip - the sugar melts on these wicked quick. So either dip immediately before serving, or provide a tiny cauldron of color sugar crystals for dipping.

Also, to make these kid-friendly, just add extra creme soda and a little bit of caramel sauce in place of the hootch (a tablespoon or two, to taste - you don't want things to get sticky).

XOXOX M.

Butterbeer Jelly Shots

Ingredients:

• 1 cup creme soda
• 2 envelopes plain gelatin
• 1/3 cup vanilla vodka
• 2/3 cup butterscotch schnapps
• colored large crystal sugar, for garnish, if desired
• wooden coffee stirrers (the stems)

Instructions:

Pour soda in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two.Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in the vodka and schnapps. Pour into standard loaf pan (non-reactive metal or glass, approx. 9" x 5"). 

Refrigerate until fully set (about 3 hours).

To serve, cut into desired shapes.

Immediately before serving, dip in colored crystal sugar, for garnish, if desired.

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Lychee Martini Jelly Shot

Lychee Martini Jelly Shots, one for you . . . two for me!  

Hello everyone!  First, Intern Doug and I wanted to thank you for the amazing comments and feedback on the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen recipe book received via email, on the blog and Facebook!  Its so fun to hear from you!  We read (and treasure) each and every message and do our best to respond
- please bear with us if our reply time is less than speedy.  (And it is admittedly less than expedient, any way you slice it . . . )

Due to the crush of overdue correspondence, I will get straight to the point of this post, the Lychee Martini Jelly Shot.  Hope you are in the mood for a little delightful-ness!

XOXOX

Michelle

P.S.  Hope you have a batch of well-deserved jelly shots in the fridge today for dear old Dad (or any other fatherly types in your life)! 

Lychee Martini Jelly Shot

• 1/2 cup white cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 cup lychee juice (from a can of lychees)
• 2 1/2 envelopes Knox gelatin (1/2 envelope equals about 1 teaspoon of gelatin powder)
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup peach schnapps (or Cointreau for a less sweet jelly shot!)
• 6 chopped lychees, for garnish

Pour juices into a saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin.  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 vodka and schnapps. 

Pour into a standard 1 lb loaf pan (about 9” x 5”).  Refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight. 

To serve, cut into desired shapes.  Garnish each jelly shot with a few pieces of chopped lychee, if desired.  

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Berry Punch Jelly Shot

Berry Punch Jelly Shot, a glistening convergence of many good things . . .

Hope everyone is doing well!  I'm a bit giddy.  The book officially comes out tomorrow! (Amazon.com has been shipping pre-orders early - yay!  I have heard from many of you that your books have arrived - hope you are enjoying!)  The thought of seeing JSTK right there on the shelf of my local bookstore is exciting!   Not that I have plans to rise at dawn and hit every bookseller in the Twin Cities metro - no, not all all . . .  Don't be silly.  That would be time consuming AND unbecoming. Besides, were I to embark on such a quest, Intern Doug would have absolutely nothing to to do tomorrow!  (Kidding of course.  Intern Doug has plenty to do - dishes, silicone molds to polish and floral aprons to iron.)


I posted this recipe over at Tablespoon.com a few months ago.  It's based on a really lovely punch cocktail - Winter Berry Punch (adapted from The Clover Club, original drink recipe here in the New York Times).  But the more I thought about it, this jelly shot would be equally yummy in warmer weather.  Why?  It's heaped with berries, which are seasonally warm weather fruits, it contains my springtime favorite -  elderflower liqueur - as well as sloe gin (a liquor which, like the jelly shot, is making a glam comeback!) . . . its so Spring-slash-Summer!  So I am relaunching the recipe here on JSTK, and redacting the the "winter" from it's name.  Hereafter, this jelly shot shall be known as "Berry Punch"!

Don't be afraid of the bundt mold.  I used a small (3 cup volume) bundt pan to set this jelly shot. Unmolding was pretty easy - I had a few issues the first time.  However, it was all user error.  I didn't loosen around all the edges before dipping, which led to a few tears - I promptly covered these up with berries, and no one was the wiser - at least not until I spilled the beans here on the JSTK blog.  (Or perhaps you suspected it was not all Swiss trains and soufflés here at the Test Kitchen?) The recipe could also be set in an 8”x8” or 9”x9” glass or non-reactive metal pan and cut into cubes. 
 Just also wanted to say thanks to all for your wonderful support, in all forms:  blog comments; Facebook notes and likes; and emails, for purchasing the book and especially for just showing up and looking at the blog once in a while.  It's awesome and makes me all warm and squooshy inside.  I confess my mad. mad love for each and every one of you!

XOXOXOX,

Michelle

Berry Punch Jelly Shot

Ingredients:

• 2 pints mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup sloe gin
• 1/3 cup creme de cassis (raspberry schnapps or Chambord would also work!)
• 1/3 cup St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 2 cups ginger ale (flat)
• 4 envelopes plain gelatin

Directions:

Prepare a three cup volume mold (mini bundt pan) by spraying lightly with cooking spray and then wiping out with clean paper towels.  This will leave a slight residue to assist in unmolding without affecting the taste or appearance of the jelly shots. 

In a medium bowl, muddle half of the mixed berries (or smash with the back of a wooden spoon if you don't have a cocktail muddler). Add the lemon zest and the liquors, stir and set aside.

Pour ginger ale in saucepan, and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Strain the berry/liquor mixture, pressing the solids to remove all the liquid. Stir into the gelatin mixture.

Pour into desired pan or mold. Refrigerate until fully set (about 4 hours).

Liberally sprinkle water on the serving plate.  To unmold the gelatin, loosen it from the edges by gently pulling away from the sides of the mold with your fingers. Dip the underside of the mold in warm water (not hot) for about 10 – 20 seconds. Invert  the mold onto a serving plate, and give it mold a little shake. If necessary, return to the water for a second or two, and repeat the process.

To serve, garnish with the remaining berries, and allow guests to carve off slices. Serves about 12.

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Blow Pop Martini Jelly Shot

Blow Pop Martini Jelly Shots, watermelon and sour apple flavors

I blame my current candy-inspired cocktail obsession on Three Olives Bubble Gum Flavored vodka, 100%. Although it is unusual for me to steer towards sweet cocktails, I find myself completely overcome with infatuation for this spirit. I concocted these Blow Pop Martini Jelly Shots for JSTK's TV debut on Twin Cities Live (here's the link to the segment if you would like to watch . . .),
and am eagerly searching for more Bazooka-flavor friendly drinks - if you have any inspiration in this regard, please comment or send me an email!

Have a happy and safe New Years Eve, everyone!

Cheers and XOXOX,

Michelle

Blow Pop Martini Jelly Shot

Difficulty:  Easy

Recommended Pan:  flexible silicone mold, small oval savarin shape (24 cavity, I used this one) OR a standard 1 lb loaf glass or non-reactive metal loaf pan (approximately 8" x 4")

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed and strained to remove solids)
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 1/2  envelopes Knox gelatin (if not using a mold, decrease to 2 envelopes!)
• 3/4 cup bubble flavor vodka (we used Three Olives brand)
• 1 tbsp Watermelon Pucker liqueur
• 1 tbsp Sour Apple Pucker liqueur
• Lollipop sticks and mini cupcake wrappers for serving, if desired

Prepare the mold by spraying lightly with cooking spray, then wiping the mold cavities clean with a paper towel.  (This will leave a very slight residue which will help unmold the jelly shots, without affecting their taste or appearance.)  No preparation is needed if the jelly shots will be set in a loaf pan.  

Pour lemonade concentrate and water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle with 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 vodka. 

Divide the mixture into two bowls. To one bowl add the Watermelon Pucker, to the other, the Sour Apple Pucker.  Pour into molds and chill until fully set, several hours or overnight. 

To serve, unmold.  Cut the lollipop sticks into approximately 1 1/2 inch segments.  Immediately before serving, insert one into each jelly shot and place each jelly shot in a mini cupcake wrapper. 

Yield: 24 jelly shots.  

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Fuzzy Navel Jelly Shots

Post updated 2/11/2015: The mild, delicious Fuzzy Navel was our very first two layer jelly shot, and as such, possibly the first in the world. Now it seems like every other one is layered. Sigh. Simple times. Good times!

The jelly shots shown above were set in a loaf pan, cut out with tiny round cookie cutters, and then loaded onto wooden toothpicks. 

Below is one of the very first pictures of jelly shots we ever created! Back in 2009! The paleolithic era of jelly shots. What a long way jelly shots have come in the last six years. We feel like proud parents.  Enjoy! 

Fuzzy Navel Jelly Shots

Peach Layer

• ¾ cup peach juice or peach nectar (strained through a fine sieve to remove solids)
• ¼ cup peach schnapps
• 1 envelope plain Knox gelatin

In a saucepan, sprinkle the peach nectar with gelatin. Allow gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved, approximately 5 minutes. Add the schnapps, stirring well, and pour into pan or molds. Refrigerate until set (about an hour). Prepare orange layer.


Orange Layer

• 1 1/3 cups orange juice (strained through a fine sieve to remove solids)
• 2/3 cup peach schnapps
• 2 envelopes plain Knox gelatin

In a saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice. Let soak for a minute or so. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved (approximately 5 minutes). Add the schnapps, stirring well. Pour over the set peach layer. Return to refrigerator and allow to set, several hours or overnight.

To serve, cut into desired shapes. Makes 24-30 shots

Note: Make sure to strain the orange juice (even if using a "pulp free" variety) to ensure a silky-textured shot.  If your orange juice isn't top-notch, try mixing in a tablespoon or two of orange juice concentrate.  

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