Gelology

Hot and Tart Hearts

2012-02-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today's post concludes my series of Valentine's Day themed gelatins. These gelatins are made from tart cherry juice and homemade Red Hots simple syrup. The Red Hots add a spicy cinnamon snap that plays wonderfully with the tart cherry juice.

The tiny white hearts are not conversation hearts so commonly found at candy stores this time of year, but made from milk gelatin. I cut out tiny milk gelatin hearts with an teeny tiny cookie cutter and embedded them into the tart cherry and Red Hots gelatin. Talk about patience....

A Happy Valentine's Day to one and all!

Chocolate Port Gelatin in Strawberries

2012-02-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with Valentine's themed edible cocktails, I introduce a chocolate port wine gelatin inside of real strawberries.

I love walking around the produce aisle and trying to figure out what can I hollow out and fill with gelatin. There are so many possibilities.

For the Wedding Open Studios, I wanted to create something decadent, simple to eat with no cups, stems, or peels to dispose of. Strawberries make the perfect gelatin bite sized container and the chocolate port wine inside blends well with the tart and sweet berries.

To up the chocolate anty, I then rolled the edges of the berries with dark chocolate chips.

Roses and Raz

2012-02-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is almost upon us and I have some creations to take us there. Today's post features a variation on a previous recipe with new photos.

Roses and Raz is a great combination of Raspberry gelatin, rose water, white wine, lime juice, and elderflower syrup. These treats are perfect for weddings and Valentine's day nibbles. Sweet and floral with a bit of bite from the lime.

Cinnamon Heart Snow Globes

2012-02-07T15:43:00.001-05:00

February has become the month of hyped holidays- Groundhog's Day, The Superbowl, Valentine's Day, and The Academy Awards. For us at Gelology, that just gives us a reason to put on our creativity caps and go to town.

Here's the first in a series of Valentine's Day of Edible Cocktails. They're a variation of my Snowflake snow globes, but this time with a gelatin heart and edible gold glitter.

Introducing Cinnamon Heart Glitter Globes. A perfect way to show someone you love them..... or that you really love shiny things.

These gels are a spicy sweet combination of marachino cherry juice, and a simple syrup made from vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and Goldschlager. I've augmented the gold flecks found in the Goldschlager with edible gold glitter. Just hold these pieces up to the light and watch them dazzle.

More Valentine's Day creations to come.

Footballs gels

2012-01-30T11:16:00.001-05:00

In honor of the upcoming Superbowl XLVI, I made these embedded gelatin footballs on a bed of astroturf gel.

The footballs are made of a milk chocolate gelatin with a mint simple syrup astroturf base. So a nice choco-minty experience to balance the over indulgence of nachos and buffalo wings.

Now available for your Superbowl party! Check out the Superbowl menu deal!

Photos by Anthony Eng.

Blueberry, Tart Cherry, and Basil

2012-01-26T17:48:00.002-05:00

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I was invited to a dinner party hosted by my old roommate Sarah. I had spent the past three days at the Fancy Food Show and was amazed by the great flavor combinations and wanted to bring something to the dinner that was a bit flavor adventurous. Thus was born the Blueberry, Tart Cherry, Red Wine, and Basil gelee.

Sarah and I went to high school together and both had relocated to San Francisco back in the 90's. The amazing thing about being an East Coaster in SF is that you have to check your judgements and snobbery at the Golden Gate. The first question isn't, "what do you?" but rather "what are you into?"

Well, the answers to both questions are the same for me now- Gelatin. But one of the guests, Misti, was into cooking and had been a chef. She had great flavor combination ideas and wrote down several great ideas. That's what I love about working with gelatin, other people also get excited about it.

I can't wait to get into the gelaboratory and experiment with some of her ideas! And a shout out to Mugwumpin's astounding success with their latest show, Future Motive Power.

AFC Champions.....

2012-01-22T18:30:00.002-05:00

A big day for football means a big day for gelatin.

The New England Patriots versus the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC Championship game.

The Raven gels are grape and lemon gels with a milk gelatin on top. The New England Patriots are cherry and bluberry gelatins with milk gelatin on top. Pats 23 Ravens 20. An exciting game up to the last few minutes of the fourth quarter.

The San Francisco 49ers play the NY Giants in a little bit.

Your Face in Gelatin!

2012-01-12T19:13:00.002-05:00

Here's a variation on the GEL-ogos. For a recent Boston theater company, I made edible posters for their hilarious play, "Mrs. Grinchley's Christmas Carol." One of the gelatins is the title of the show and the other Ryan Landry as Mrs. Grinchley.

The top layer is a milk gelatin and the base an orange, vanilla, and amaretto gelatin.

On another note, I'm off to San Francisco for the Fancy Food Show! I can't wait to meet all the other specialty food creators around the country and world. I'll post some pics of what I see out there.

Peace, love, and gelatin!

-The Gelologist

GEL-ogos

2012-01-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

I've been fascinated with the edible pictures you see on cakes and cookies. I thought, "how cool, I wonder if that would work on jello?"

So after much research, equipment purchasing and finagling, I can now print pictures, words, and logos onto gelatin.

These I made for a recent gig with Mullen Advertising for a holiday social. I was asked to print the logos of some of their clients.

Companies need to spend money to attract customers. So companies, now there's a whole new way to put your money where you mouth is!

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

It's a new calendar year and time to set goals. For me, I will continue to focus on the wonderful world of gelatin and to start it off, I'm heading to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. I can't wait to meet other specialty food producers. It's summer camp for food nerds.

For New Year's Eve, I'd been invited to Christopher Muther's soiree. Christopher is the style and fashion writer at the Boston Globe and recently wrote a great piece about a 50's themed dinner party he threw. So being invited by an expert in all things retro, including Jell-o and Aspics, I felt I needed to impress him with some gelation.

I used the embedding technique for the numbers and letters. For the ice blue flowers, I used the gelatinas artisticas skills learned from Michelle at Blooming Gelatin Art in L.A. For the past week I've been practicing that skill in hopes of being able to make them as beautifully and quickly as she does.

I wish you all a great first day to the new year!

Champagne Wishes and Raspberry Dreams

2011-12-29T18:23:00.003-05:00

Happy Almost New Year!

In preparation for the weekend's festivities, I've been making New Year's Eve themed edible art. What drink says Happy New Year better than sparking Champagne? This gelatin creation is inspired by the jelly masters- Bompas and Parr. They are a combination of Champagne, Elderflower syrup, lemon juice, sugar, and raspberries suspended as if by magic. Just like our economy.

Photo credit: Brian Feulner

I've always wondered what it would be like to grow up in a land where the New Year came at the height of summer. What would it be like to be on the beach, by a bonfire and celebrate the ringing in of the new year by plunging into a warm body of water?

My memories are of a freezing cold Montreal-so cold your eyelashes would get little icicles as you walked home from the party. Is this a bad thing? I guess I like having the New Year come at the dead of winter so that you have something to look forward to. Something to sink your teeth into... like gelatin!

Which brings me back to my prediction; was 2011 the year of the gourmet jello shot? Jello and gelatin as a whole really hit the nation's spotlight. The Jell-O mold competition was hugely successful and led to press and publication in the WSJ, Good Morning America, and CBS Sunday Morning.

Gelology made into the aforementioned as well as the Boston Globe, Boston Spirit Magazine, The Huffington Post, and almost.... on Rock City. Still holding out.

So far doing Gelology full-time has been a dream. Except for the dream where I was being chased by zombies who wanted to eat my jello brain- true story. So jello did hit the scene but it still has much further to go.

In 2012 could it be the year that Gelatin passes up the wedding cake? That gelatin takes on Guinness World Record proportions? That Martha and I hob nob in the kitchen? Who knows? But I'm ready to dream big.

Peace, love, and gelatin,
The Gelologist

O Tannenbaums!

2011-12-22T20:25:00.000-05:00

When Charlie Brown was searching for the perfect tree for the Christmas play, he should have called me. Well, these gelatin creations are not for children, but the Peanuts characters would now be in their 50's so it's legit!

These Christmas gels are made from a special soda found up in Canada called Spruce Beer. It's in the family of Root beer and Birch beer, but with a distinct pine taste. Imagine that amazing scent of a fresh cut Christmas tree that pervades your house in a drinkable form.

Presenting O Tannenbaums!

These shots are a blend of Spruce beer, spruce beer extract, sugar, and citric acid for tartness.

Finding Spruce beer south of the Canadian border was next to impossible. It wasn't until a friend of mine told me he was heading up to Montreal that I knew I could get this beverage for my shots. My college roommate and I drank this stuff up during our holiday seasons at McGill.

the spruce beer extract I found at Modern Home Brew Emporium-a local beer and soda brewing shop in Cambridge.

The ornaments are made form colored milk gelatins. For these photos I applied the ornaments after the gels had been formed. But they can also be added to the mold before pouring. A shout out to Patrick Lentz for the great photography.

If you can get your hands of some Spruce beer and Spruce beer extract email me and I'll send you the recipe.

Peace, love, and gelatin!

-The Gelologist

Gingerbread men gelatin

2011-12-19T20:39:00.001-05:00

These gelatin creations are hot out of the oven! Or rather cold out of the refrigerator.

The winter holiday season is traditionally a cookie time of year. Looking at all the recipe magazines at the grocery store checkout line, you see dozens and dozens of delicious baked treats. So here's my spin on a classic holiday cookie- gingerbread men.

The recipe is as follows:

Gingerbread men
3/4 cup Ginger beer
1 envelope Knox gelatine
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. gingerbread liquor
1 Tbsp. Myers Dark Rum
1 tsp. Amaretto
1 tsp. Cointreau
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and ground cloves

Frosting gel
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp Cake Vodka
1 envelope Knox gelatine1 Tbsp sugar

The mold I got at Lorraine's Cake Supply in Hanover, MA. You can find them online, but it's nice to support a local small store. If you're ever in the area stop by there. They have a great supply of all things cake and cake pops. They haven't moved into the gelatin arena....yet.

For the frosting, I've been playing around with gel piping. In these photos applied the Frosting gel after chilling and releasing the mold. It's a test of patience to wait for the gel to be the right consistency to work with. Too warm and it's runny like water, too cold and it congeals and won't apply.

If you'd like to know more, email me and I'll send you the recipe in it's entirety.

Santa Hats

2011-12-12T20:01:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday was the annual Santa Speedo Run. A fun and crazy charity event that had over 500 participants don swimsuits and run through the shopping district of Boston.

In honor of their ahem... efforts... I made some Santa Hat gelatin creations for a pre-party.

The runners spirits were high and the weather mostly fair. With the warming effect of cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and a simple syrup made with Chambord and a touch of whiskey. The runners were guaranteed not to freeze their jigglers off!

Mini Hot Cocoa Mugs

2011-12-08T17:57:00.001-05:00

What's cuter than cute? You're going to have to admit that these teeny tiny mugs of minted hot are just that. While drinking my first mug of the season, I thought that these could make a delicious gelatin creation. So off to the gelaboratory I went.

These shots are a blend of chocolate pudding mix, peppermint schnapps, creme de cacao, sweetened condensed milk, and marshmallow vodka.

One of the garnishes I made by cutting up mini marshmallows into mini-er mallows. I also candied tiny mint leaves and rolled a striped taffy and twisted it into teeny tiny candy canes. The handles are Wint-o-green life-savers. Those are more for show. Your teeth won't thank you if you bite into them.

These have a creamy chocolatey mouth feel combined with the crisp sugary bite of the candied mint leaf.

Stay tuned... more winter shots coming up!

Jell-Obama on CBS Sunday Morning!

2011-12-05T14:50:00.001-05:00

The History of Jello!

Hello Gelophiles,

Last Sunday CBS Sunday Morning aired a segment on the History of Jello! The bad news was I'd started working on pitch for something like this back in July. Oh well.... procrastination.

The good news is Jell-Obama was shown during the segment!

If you've ever wondered about the history of this wiggly treat take a watch below. Click on the link and not the photo to watch the video.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389706n

One final turkey creation

2011-11-30T12:27:00.001-05:00

I got a bit behind on the posting this weekend with Thanksgiving and all. But before I officially move to winter shots, I wanted to show my final turkey shot.

It's a bit of a stretch.... but people have been asking for savory shots recently. Looking back in the Annals of Gelatin, if there is such a thing, meat and savory gelatins, known as Aspics, were quite popular in the early 20th century. Gelatin as a dessert didn't really hit the American culture into the 50's. Today we are so used to gelatins being sweet and fruity that it's hard to imagine they can be delicious in a complex and savory as well. But they can!

So going from there I made this Savory Stuffing Shardonnay Shot.

The ingredients include chicken stock, chardonnay, celery, and stuffing. If you'd like to get the complete recipe leave a comment at the bottom of the post.

2011-11-23T13:54:00.001-05:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists,

In a recent posting I wrote about Gelography- the art of printing and drawing on gelatin. At a recent event, I was commissioned to print the logo for the Ride Studio Cafe's unveiling party of a new 7 Cycles customized bicycle line.

It was a great event and an awesome cafe right off the Minute Man Rail Trail in Lexington, MA. I stopped over recently on a long ride and had a delicious hot chocolate, the perfect break for a long bike ride.

Using rice paper and vegetable dye markers, I was able to create their logos on top of a layered gelatin shot. Also on the platter are the Candy Corn shot, Rootbeer floats, and caramel apple cider shots inside Granny Smith Apples.

I'll be taking the Gelography to then next level when I pick up my new printer and edible ink cartridges this week!

Have a great day before Thanksgiving!

Turkey Treats

2011-11-21T12:01:00.001-05:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists,

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving Monday. By now many of you have your birds marinating in brine, or de-thawing in the fridge. Or maybe you're feeding a pair of turkey out your bedroom window like the couple I saw doing last week on my morning run. I guess there's a troupe, or pack, or wait...... Wait, just looked it up... It's a rafter of wild turkeys and they're roaming around the streets of Cambridgeport.

This situation inspired me to create an urban wild turkey treat. Using these molds I wanted to come up with some gel that was sweet and nutty with a bite to it. Something to gobble up but still relish. (wakka wakka wakka!)

Anyone for a Turkey trot?

The recipe...

Wild Turkey Treats

1 envelope Knox Gelatine
1/2 cup Wild Turkey Simple Syrup (recipe below)

1/4 cup cola

1/4 cup ginger ale

1 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice

1 Tbsp mandarin orange syrup
1 Tbsp apple cider

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp pomegranate concentrate

Wild Turkey Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 oz Wild Turkey
1 tsp Amaretto
Heat the ingredients to just about boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, cool, and store in a sterilized glass bottle in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

These treats will compliment any Thanksgiving table!

Gelography

2011-11-18T12:36:00.001-05:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists,

Suffixes and Prefixes. Remember those from English and Latin classes? If you're like me, you might have trouble remembering the differences between an electrocardiograph and an electrocardiogram. One's the machine and one's the readout. As to which one is which, you'll have look it up.

But you probably know the difference of say, astronomy vs. astrology. Nomy means the systematic knowledge of, and Logy, is the study of. So with Astronomy you have the science of stars and the universe and with astrology you learn whether you should leave your house that day or cheat on your spouse. Err... uhm.

So what's the difference between gelology and gelography? If you Google "gelography" you first get, "Did you mean: geography?"

And no Sir, er... Maam, err.. or whatever gender you are Google, I most certainly did not. I meant GELOGRAPHY."

Which leads you to a lot of spelling errors links. So let me be the first to coin, (OK I'm not the first) Gelography- the art of printing and drawing onto gelatin.

I learned this technique from Michelle Quiles at Blooming Gelatin Art in Los Angeles. Using vegetable dye pens, food coloring, and brushes I made this as tribute to my past co-worker and present Gel-fan- Julia.

Under the big blue gelatin sea..

For someone like myself who is not skilled at drawing or painting, it's not too hard to do. Gel printing and painting was a lot of fun- something kids could do at a birthday party. Or even as a school project. What a great way to get kids excited about writing and spelling! In my previous job-incarnation I worked on a Mobile Laboratory (with Julia) and the kids would get so excited when you'd have them write on the walls with whiteboard markers. Don't worry the wall were erasable. Sometimes a simple change in how you present something can make or break a lesson. Back to gelatin...

I started with a 5 inch by 8 inch sheet of milk gelatin. Pretty simple recipe.

Milk gelatin (adapted from Michelle Quiles' recipe)
2 cups water
2 Envelopes Knox gelatine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Mix the two cups of water with Knox gelatine in a microwave proof bowl. Zap on high for 2 minutes and stir. Add the sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Stir again and pour into a pan a lightly oiled pan. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

I drew the anchor image first using the vegetable dye markers.

Then painted the water and sand background. And the Lobster, because no one knows more about lobsters than Julia. She's the lobsterologist! Now if only she could invent lobsterography.

Until next time,

Peace, love, and Jell-O!

Edible Snow Globe Series, #1- Snowflakes

2011-11-13T15:45:00.001-05:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists,

When I was a kid, starting around Thanksgiving I used to lay on our olive shag carpet (it was the 70's!) and listen to The Charlie Brown Christmas album non-stop. One of my favorite lines was when Lucy, in her high brow way, informs everyone, "I never eat December snowflakes. I always wait to January." At which Linus replies after having just tasted one, "They sure look ripe to me."

Well, I made some November snowflakes that even Lucy would try.

Here are my edible snowflakes in anticipation of winter season. A bit early I know but I was so excited to make these and taste them that I figured I'd blow right past Thanksgiving. Turkey shots can come next week.

These gels have a great 3-dimensionality to them. It's hard to convey in photo but they're edible glitter inside the clear dome so when you turn the shot they sparkle. Plus the detail of the snowflake gets amplified depending on what angle you spy the gelatin. I made the snowflakes using this mold.

For taste, I wanted something cool and refreshing with a bit of bite, just like the feel of a real snowflake hitting your tongue. So here's what I came up with...

Snowflakes
1 cup water
1 Envelope Knox
3 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk

Clear Globe
1/2 cup water
1 envelope Knox
1/2 cup Peppermint cocoa simple syrup (recipe below)
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp chocolate extract.

Blue Base
1/2 cup water
1 envelope Knox
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Peppermint cocoa simple syrup
4 drops blue food coloring

Peppermint Cocoa simple syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Peppermint Schnapps

1/4 cup Creme de Cacao

1 vanilla bean

Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

I'm looking forward to making variations on these snow globe shots. Feel free to let me know what other shapes I should put in there! And if you like what you see, spread it around... I'm on the Twitter and the Facebook...... Gelology!

Peace, Love, and Jell-O,

The Gelologist

I've got it made with the good eleven

2011-11-11T17:12:00.001-05:00

Hello fellow Gelologists,

Where were you at 12:34:56 on July 8, 90? I was on a bus during a high school field trip and we all screamed in excitement when someone looked down at their Swatch Watch and announced the time.

Now today is different- 11/11/11. Eleven is a good number. According to School House Rock, you've got it made when you're multiplying it- that is until you get past nine. And, according to Becky Bierly, you can make a wish if you look at the clock at 11:11:11 but only if you snap, then clap your hands, then stamp your feet eleven times each. AND you can't look back at the clock until it's past the said time.

That's a lot of work for a wish.

So on this momentous numerical occasion, there wasn't any screaming, nor Swatch watches, but someone looked down on their laptop and informed all the peeps in the coffee shop at which I was working that it was time. We turned to each other and acknowledged each other's presence- which is the adult equivalent of raucous behavior.

I decided to gellify the moment in time with a little embedding technique. Here's my tribute to this once in a century event.

Boo-Yeah!

2011-11-03T18:55:00.002-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

I made a smorgasbord of my Halloween gelatin creations for a trick-or-treating party. I was most excited about introducing the new vampire fang gelatin treats! I found these molds made by Fred Kitchen a month ago. They make the coolest accoutrements!

The kids go to feast on Fangtasiellos, Coffin Jello, and Chocolate frogs. I'm still looking for a good name for the coffin gelatin. Right now the leading suggestion is Sugary Sarcophogus. I'm leaning towards a morphing of this into either Sarcophagels or Gelcophagus. What do you think?

The teeth came out so beautifully; I love the color contrast between the white of the teeth an red gums. I'm proud to say these were truly LA vampires, fresh from their teeth whitening session. The kids had fun putting them in their mouth and chasing each other around. Yeah, mayhem.

I've had so much fun making Halloween gelatins that I hate putting away the molds for the year! Maybe someone will throw a "Nightmare Before Christmas Party" so I can resurrect them! (pun intended)

Thanks to Allison for playing around with the photos. I took them with a basic point and shoot camera so they needed some help. Someday I'll invest in a real one. Until then.......Have a spooky last day of Los Dias De Los Muertos!

Peace, Love, and Gelatin,

-The Gelolologist

Caramel Apple Cider Gelee Real Apples

2011-10-30T16:48:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

It snowed last night in Boston! This Pre-Halloween snow may be common occurrence in Montreal where it's halfway between the Equator and North Pole, but Boston?! Regardless of the weather conditions, it is still technically Fall and I'm going to continue to make Fall themed shots!

Recently in my Gelaboratory I've been trying to defy the laws of gravity and Newtonian physics with gelatin. I was very inspired by Chef Jose Andres' talk at Harvard about gelation. So, I've been playing with the idea of surprise. Like cutting open a fruit to find it filled with natural gelatin. I started with tangerines, lemons, strawberries and had just been working on apples when this blog entry came up in my Google reader from That's So Michelle.

D'oh, bested! Now I believe that ideas are like babies. If you don't birth them, someone else will. (Okay, that doesn't make a lot of sense) I'm not going to let that stop me. So what's better than one baby..... two babies! Here's my recipe for Caramel Apple Cider gelee in real apples.

Caramel Apple Cider Shots

5 apples, Granny Smith work best for color and longevity. I used a local variety called Suncrisp.

4 oz. Apple Cider
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1/4 tsp. dried orange rind
4 oz Apple Juice Concentrate
1 Envelope Knox gelatine
2 Tbsp Caramel sauce
1 cup Buttery Rum Simple Syrup (recipe below)

1/4 tsp. citric acid

1 cup water

1 tsp. Rum flavoring

1 tsp butterscotch flavoring

Buttery Rum simple syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 oz. Spiced Rum
4 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
Heat the ingredients in a small pan over the stove to simmer. Let sit for 5 minutes, remove from heat and cool.

In a container, add the cloves, cinnamon stick, orange rind, and cider. Seal and let sit in the fridge overnight. Rapid method: Heat the open container in a microwave till hot (not boiling), then seal and put in the fridge or 20 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove any hard bits.
Mix the citric acid to the water in a bowl and set aside. You can also use 1 tsp lemon juice in one cup of water.

In a medium microwave proof bowl, combine spiced cider, apple juice and Knox. Microwave until hot and stir. Set aside to cool.

Time for the apples! Use a corer to carefully remove the top. Think pumpkin carving. Set this aside to plug up the hole. Using the melon baller or small spoon scrape away the insides of the apple. Optional: You can food process this, strain, and substitute this for the 4 oz of Apple Juice concentrate.

Pour some of the citric acid liquid into the apple, slosh around, pour out, and set apple upside down on paper towels. This will prevent apple browning.

Go back to the gelatin. Add the simple syrup and caramel sauce. Stir until dissolved.

Line the apples right side up in a pan and carefully pour the caramel gelatin into the apples, almost to the top. Place the apple top back on (think pumpkin again).

Put the apples in the fridge for four hours.

To present the apple, cut into quarters or sixths. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts for extra garnish.

Here Comes Halloween...Here Comes Halloween!

2011-10-25T11:15:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

It's getting spooky out there. The Halloween decorations are going up and the number one question in the air is, "what are you going to be for Halloween?"

In my own world the question is, "how can I gelify this holiday?" The other question is, "how do I punctuate a question within a statement ?" I need to hit some grammar books.

Back to gelatin- Here are the lovely and creepy embedded gelatin shots that I'm calling...
well. I'm having a creative naming dry spell. So I put it out to you. What should I call these?

I want your input. Keep reading and find out about my contest!

These are all gelatin shots. I am not a fan of embedding gummy candies into the gels. The gummies absorb moisture and get this funky texture and worse the ruin the integrity of the gelatin.

Using some rubber skeletons I found at Target, I vacuum formed them into molds. I did the same with a coffin container that had silly putty in it.

So here's the deal. What should these spooky treats be called? Post a comment on the blog and the top five names will go into a raffle. If your name is chosen, I will send you your own mold to make these. Granted, I am not sending them to Antarctica.

Ok..... I'll even send them to Antarctica, so get your thinking gel-caps on!

Peace, love, and gelatin.

Gelatinas Artisticas

2011-10-23T11:54:00.000-04:00

Hola Gelophiles,

Here I am in sunny California for the weekend to learn a gelatin injection technique called Gelatinas artisticas. This came out of Mexico about and is an intense and fun way to play with jello.

I'll post more about the process in the next blog entry but I wanted to show my day one products. Back to Blooming Arts Gelatin!

Candy Corns 2.0

2011-10-14T15:28:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Happy Socktober! The unofficial sock celebration month! You can celebrate by wearing mis-matched socks. Also called Opposocks! Go ahead an trademark that one.

Back on the gelatin front, Halloween is coming up and it's time to create and recreate some shots. These are the candy corn shots I made last Halloween but this time I used the pyramid molds for a more authentic candy corn look.

The key to these shots is the candy corn infused vodka.

Candy Corn Jello Shots

White layer

1 cup1 water

2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin

3 Tbs of sweetened condensed milk (or more to taste)

1/2 cup white candy corn infused vodka

1/2 cup Triple sec or if you're feeling crazy a clear or white butter rum!

Orange layer

1 3oz box orange gelatin

1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin

1 cup water

1/2 cup orange candy corn infused vodka

1/2 cup candy corn infused triple sec

Yellow layer

1 3oz box lemon gelatin

1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin

1 cup water

1/2 cup yellow candy corn infused vodka

1/2 cup candy corn infused triple sec

To make Candy corn infused vodka, get three plastic containers with lids. Measure out 1/2 cup (4oz, 118mL for our metric friends) of vodka into a plastic container that can be sealed with a lid. cut the candy corns into their individual colors and add the the alcohol. Cover and let it infuse for two hours.

Strain the vodka of any remaining clumps by using a coffee filter or paper towel. Place the filter over an empty container and gently pour the vodka over it.

As always with layering gelatin, prepare every gel ahead of time. Place the pan or molds into the freezer for ten minutes before pouring, this will help speed up the process. Just before pouring, take out the pan pour the first layer and place in fridge. Check on it in five minutes and frequently from then on. You want the gelatin to be tacky but not solid. If the layer gets solid they separate when you unmold. Pour the second layer, this will set more quickly. Then the final layer.

Let refrigerate for an hour more.

Lychee gelee

2011-09-21T15:59:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

The first time my friend Steve handed me a lychee, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. They're rather hard to describe: round, red, scaly- roughly the size and texture of an eyeball. Okay, they're easy to describe, in an unappetizing manner. But once you get past the novelty it's the most delicious and refreshing fruit!

Here are some gelatin shots that I made using canned lychee. I missed Lychee season which is May through July but canned is perfect for a gelatin based treat.

What I love about the lychee is the clean, crisp floral flavor combined with a slightly crunchy flesh. But they aren't the prettiest fruit to showcase in gelatin so I used the lychee syrup and added halved green grapes. In addition I also combined some mandarin orange juice slices.

They came out tasting delicious. Light, sweet, and floral.

Earlier this year I declared 2011 to be the year of the gelatin shot and so far the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and even Martha Stewart have written about the once frat party favorite.

In honor of Martha, I am calling these Lycee gelees. Gelee being french for gelatin. She showcased a gelatin shot for a bridal party in her most recent publication of Martha Stewart Living.

To make these Lychee Gelees you'll need:

1 cup of canned lychee syrup
2 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup of canned mandarin orange juice
1/2 cup St Germaine
1/4 cup Absolut Wild Tea Vodka
2 Tbsp Pear Cognac

Grapes and orange slices to decorate.

I poured the liquid into porcelain spoons and set in the fridge. You could release and serve separately or loosen and let people slide the shot off the spoon into their mouth.

Enjoy!

Until next time, wishing you peace, love, and Jello.

A Sculpted Rodin

2011-09-15T16:31:00.002-04:00

Hello gelophiles,

In honor of a great friend, I used this bundt mold to make a peach-themed gelatin shot. As his name is Rodin, it was only fitting that the gelatin be both structurally and taste budfully satisfying.

The sculpted Rodin was my first attempt at embedding fruit in layers. It took about four hours to create and an additional 6 hours to completely gel, but it was worth it.

I started with seasonal fruit from the farmer's market at Copley Square. There were delicious peaches, blueberries, and raspberries in season. Many people may not know this, but raspberries produce twice a year. The first time in July and again in the early fall. How cool is that?!

For the gelatin base I wanted something clear or clear-ish. It was important that the fruit show through, so I used a peach lemonade base. I taste tested some liquid combinations and found the best to be a blend of Elderflower cordial, Ginger ale, St. Germaine, and Prosecco.

The difficult part was determining the correct amount of gelatin so that the mold maintained its structural integrity but didn't get too firm. Ya' got to have the wobble!

The recipe is as follows:

A Sculpted Rodin

2 cups Peach lemonade
2 cups Prosecco

1 cup Elderflower liqour

1/2 cup St. Germaine

1/2 cup ginger ale

6 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Maine wild blueberries, raspberries, and peaches.

Lightly oil the mold with grape seed oil and wipe away excess with a paper towel.

Make the gelatin and refrigerate until it has the consistency of egg whites. Pour a layer, set your first fruit, and then put the mold into the fridge until slightly firm. Repeat: Add more gelatin, fruit, cool.

It's fun to play with different lighting!

Rodin liked it so much that created a series of bundt molds. More postings to come!

New from Jell-O!

2011-09-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelolophiles,

There's some exciting buzz about, Jell-O has put out some new products! I believe it's been a while since they've introduced new flavors. According to Wikipedia, when General Foods was merged into Kraft Food in 1989 there was a slew of new flavors: Berry Blue, Cranberry, and Watermelon, to name a few.

Well, these aren't new flavors but an intriguing marketing ploy. One is a color changing gelatin and the other.... well.......

...the other invites you to add your favorite soda! Sounds exciting until you realize that his this product is just unflavored gelatin. For the price of one box of Knox gelatin you can make four times the amount of gelatin purported by this Jell-o product. Since Gelology Creations is not sponsored by Jell-O brand gelatin (ok, they just never offered me any money) I can say don't bother with it. Jell-O does have the branding and fun factor backing it, but this marketing ploy is a bit cloying with box its Mixchief slogan and Spongebob Squarepants like character.

But the color changing gelatin.... now that's a horse of a different color!
(again gelatin is NOT made from horse hooves)
(just pig skin and cow)

I will try this gelatin and report back to you.

Reporting live on the scene for Gelology News; this is Matt The Gelogist.

Root root root for the home team...

2011-09-06T16:05:00.002-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Okay. Technically that song is for baseball. But it's football season and the demand for shots is rising. Building off a technique I'm learning called "Embedding" I decided to make some gelatin shots for a friends Northwestern University Alumni party.

The ingredients were:

Purple
1 3 oz box Grape gelatin
1 envelope knox
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup blueberry schnapps

White
1 can Sweetened condensed milk
2 envelopes Knox
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup peach scnhapps

These made 12 2 x 2 inch jello squares.

I can't wait to do more embedding! And the football season presents endless possibilities. Well, ok it's not like they're infinite possibilities, but a bit of hyperbole goes a long way with gelatin. Even the word hyperbole sounds gelatinous. Hmmm.... maybe I should make that into a shot.

Fresh Watermelon Mojito Shots

2011-08-16T13:57:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Summer is upon us and delicious fruit abound. The peaches and blueberries in our community garden are almost ripe and ready for picking and I'm swimming in cucumbers and tomatoes. Technically fruit, but not the most common base for a gelatin shot. So I turned to watermelon at the local market.

Here's a refreshing summery shot for your next outdoor picnic.

Fresh Watermelon Mojito shots.

The best part of making these shots is juicing the watermelon. Cut a hole or square just a bit larger than a potato masher. Insert the masher and go to town like you're making butter!! (although I've never made butter, but I've watched enough Little House on the Prairie.)

Then I extracted and filtered the juice in a sieve and put aside.

For the mint simple syrup, I used the mint leaves from our back yard plot. Summer in New England is enough to make you forget the atrocities of winter. Almost.

The recipe is as follows:

2 cups fresh watermelon juice- strained in a sieve

3 1/2 envelopes Knox

½ cup castor sugar

½ cup mint simple syrup (see below)

3 Tbsp. lime juice

½ cup watermelon vodka

2 Tbsp. tequila

mint simple syrup

1 cup water

1 cup castor sugar

½ cup mint leaves

These were the perfect addition to the outdoor performance of "All's Well That Ends Well."

More Press for Jell-Obama

2011-08-07T10:33:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

This is exciting news. Eddie Gehman-Kohan documents the Obama Administration's food and nutrition initiatives. Lo and behold, Jell-Obama has made it up to the White House Steps!

Read about how a lil' old Pudding shot can be linked to the recent debt ceiling conundrum here.

Harry Potter, The Elements, and Jell-o all in one?

2011-08-02T17:25:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Watch Daniel Radcliffe sing "The Elements", a song the brilliant Tom Lehrer recorded over half a century ago.

The same Tom Lehrer who is the supposed father or a founding father of the Jello shot.. Now if only Bill Cosby made a guest appearance... Heaven!

I Open At The Close... Harry Potter Golden Snitch Shots!

2011-07-14T10:21:00.003-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

This is the shot I've been so excited to make. Edible Golden Snitches. The brilliance of J.K. Rowling is that she made a seven part book series where so much is tied together in the end. Things from book one play a significant part in book 7. And thus is the tale of the Golden Snitch.

If you recall, Harry Potter catches the first snitch, an enchanted golden sphere that zooms around the Quidditch court. Uhm Quidditch is a wizarding sports games played on brooms. Okay, this is difficult to explain if you aren't a fan of the books and movies.

Suffice it to say, Harry catches a snitch in his mouth in book one and this story comes back into play in book 7, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. A plot perfect for a molded gelatin shot.

And here it is!

People always inquire how I make the molds. For the snitch, I started with a ping pong ball and covered in clean clay, a food safe non-air drying clay. I examined photos on-line of snitches and then made my own interpretation. That's the beauty of imagination.

I built up and dug out a series of patterns that were both Celtic, geometric, and Mayan. Just remember I am not a sculpture at all, so I had to pull out my play-doh skills.

From there, I used the Smooth-on Sorta clear from the good people of Reynolds Advanced Materials in Brighton. Andrew is always incredibly helpful. This take a good 28 hours to form.

Now for the recipe, I wanted it to be golden, but I'm not financially set to work with gold leaf. Yet.

So I ordered edible gold spray online.

Golden Snitch

Lemon gelatin

Orange gelatin

Knox unflavored gelatine

Goldschlager

Citron Vodka

Peach Schnapps

Sweetened Condensed milk

Edible Gold Spray

The gelatin set over a couple hours and I lightly sprayed the Snitch with gold. The gold really brought out the definition of the etchings.

Now you can be like Harry Potter and can catch a Snitch in your mouth!

Let the Quidditch Games begin!

Jell-Obama mentioned in the the Wall Street Journal!

2011-07-13T11:46:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

I'm a small playa in the Jello movement but a playa non-the-less. Reach the article in the WSJ about jello molds and look for the mention of Jell-Obama!

Follow this link to the article!

All Hail King Slurpee!!!

2011-07-11T22:31:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Today is July 11th, aka 7-11. Every year on this date the convenience store chain 7-11 gives out free Slurpees. I decided to take one of their Slurpees and doctor it up.

As a kid my mom used to doctor things up. She'd add some oregano and grated parmesan cheese to a can of Campbell's soup- voila gourmet. Or chopped apples and a dash of cinnamon to Quaker Instant Oatmeal. We were fancy like that.

So here's my doctored up version of a Pina Colada Slurpee.

King Aloha Slurpee

1 Large Pina Colada Slurpee

1 3 oz box of Pineapple Jell-o

1 envelop of Knox gelatine

1/2 cup of Bacardi Coconut rum

I made the Gelatin shots in the standard way, but for extra fun I set them in these pineapple ice cube trays. Using a blender, I pulsed the shots, Slurpee, and extra ice cubes on and off for ten seconds. The Slurpee came out tasting like a bubble tea with kick.

It's like a Slurpee and Barcardi Rum got married and had Jello babies!

It may be too late to get your free Slurpee but you can always doctor it up. Some liquor a day keeps the doctor away. Well, actually, it probably keeps you away from the doctor because your a bit befuddled and sleeping it off.

Uh-oh. Here comes the blender causing delicious trouble!

If you like texture and booze, you'll love this doctored up frozen treat.

More photos from the Jello Mold Competition

2011-07-11T11:34:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

The photos are in from the Gowanus Studio Jell-O Mold Competition. These really show you the creativity of the contestants.

Follow this link to the photos.

Harry Potter Shotters- Version 1

2011-07-10T17:15:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

The buzz has been huge for the final Harry Potter movie. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see how it ends. Ok, I know how it ends. I've read the series three times.... I do have a life outside of Gelatin shots. Wait that sounds really nerdy.

Moving on. In honor of the premiere I've been working all weekend on some shots specific to Harry Potter. Here's my first release.

Black Treacle Shotters
1 1/2 cups ginger beer
2 Tbsp. caster sugar
2 Envelopes Knox gelatine
1 Tbsp. Black Treacle
1/2 cup rum simple syrup (recipe below)
dash of cinnamon

Rum Simple Syrup

1/4 cup dark Rum

1/4 cup spiced rum

2 Tbsp. Blackcurrant Brandy

Black treacle aka Molasses is an acquired taste, and a big part of the Hogwarts banquets. I designed these shots to be sweeter than Hermione, tangier than a Fizzing Whizbee, and pack a meaner punch than a Howler.

More Gelology in the news...

2011-07-05T12:06:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelolphiles,

Here's a clip from the Today show website. There are great images of the competing Jello artist- look for my Jell-Obama in motion.

Salted Caramel JELL-Obama

2011-07-01T11:06:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Here's the recipe you've all been waiting for. And when I mean all of you, I mean the hyper-inflated world of Jello obsessed enthusiasts I envision in my head.

Michelle and I worked our Jello stained fingers of on this recipe, and we know you'll love it.

The inspiration came from an article in the New York Times about President Obama's favorite candy- the smoked sea salt chocolate covered caramels from Fran's in Seattle. We knew this was the perfect dessert to gellify.

The greatest challenge was designing the right caramel recipe that would fold into the Chocolate pudding, but not ruin the structural integrity of the shot. Here's what we came up with:

Salted Caramel JELL-Obama Pudding Shot
1 4-1/2 cup serving box of JELL-O Instant Chocolate Pudding
2 Envelopes of Knox unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups cold whole milk
1/2 cup Salted Caramel sauce (recipe below)
1/2 cup Caramel Bailey's
1/2 cup Godiva Chocolate Liquor

Salted Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

In a medium sauce pan heat the sugar, water, and corn syrup until amber in color. Avoid scorching the sugar by stirring occasionally. Some will say avoid stirring but swirl the pan or use a wet brush, but I'm not that fasitidious. After all, you're burning sugar.

Lower the flame and add the butter, cream, and salt. Stir on low flame until the ingredients combine, thicken, and darken. It should look like caramel. Apx 4 min.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

For the Pudding shots: in a small microwave proof bowl, add 1/2 cup of milk and sprinkle the Knox gelatin packets over the surface. Let sit for a minute. Microwave the bowl up to two minutes for the gelatin to dissolve. Remove, stir, and let cool to warmer than room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the remaining cup of cold milk and add the Pudding mix slowly. Best to start with a whisk and move up to a spoon. It will be a thick paste. Add in the milk/gelatin mixture, Salted caramel sauce, Baileys, and Godiva liquor.

You can add more salt, liquor, or caramel to taste. No more than 1/2 cup of liquid though. And once you get too salty, you can't go back.

Pour the mixture in a pan, silicone baking cups, or plastic shot glasses and refrigerate for an hour. They will be done when firm to the touch. These shots should be removed from any cups and served like finger food. Feel free to drizzle a bit of caramel over the shots. Avoid adding salt unless you are serving immediately. The salt leaches the water out of the jello and makes a sloppy mess.

Enjoy!

Gelology in the news!

2011-06-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

Hello Fellow Gelophiles,

The past five days have been an experience. To quote one of my favorite TV show, My So-Called Life, "We had a time."

Gelology was a big hit at the JELL-O Mold competition in Brooklyn this past weekend. Here's a link to one of the articles that mentions Gelology and the JELL-Obama creation.

May I have the envelope please.....

2011-06-26T12:38:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity. The events leading up to the JELL-O Mold Competition will be chronicled, but I am still exhausted and not quite able to articulate the experience.

I will say that I met the most creative, friendly, and fun group of people all gathered around Jello. The contenders were brilliant. The spectators, enthusiastic. I learned a lot about molding techniques, flavor combinations, and the hot to turn a hot dog into Jello.

More will come in due time this week. Just need to pack up the materials and head out of town. I will tell all soon...

The Final Countdown

2011-06-25T14:15:00.000-04:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists,

We are in the final hours until the Gowanus Jello Mold Competition. Michelle and I've been working furiously for the past sixteen hours. Five Barack Obamas, seven White House, and twenty stars, we are approaching......completion. Now we need to get cleaned and prepped for the event.

Up at 8, we've been melting, whisking, oiling, debating, beating, sooo many "ing" verbs!

We're going to arrange jello White Houses around the Obama busts. Releasing the molds has been a challenge, The houses have to much detail and the jello keeps ripping. Bamboo stakes help. And so does patience.....

Now, President Obama is or was in New York the last few days. I wonder if he knows about my honorific? Plus, marriage equality passed last night. So much is going on in this city right now.

Yet here I sit, inventing plastic surgery for gelatin. Nose, ear, and chin augmentation has become my expertise.

On the Road to Find Out

2011-06-23T10:32:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

A lot has happened with gelatin over the past four years; previously no one was really doing anything with it. Very rarely in life have I been ahead of a trend, but I think with Jello I was-all thanks to my friend Michelle. But I do believe that ideas are like children, precious... precious children. They need love to grow.

Ok, not really. I think ideas are more like the satan spawn from "Rosemary's Baby". A lot of people are conspiring to get them born and if you're aren't the birthing vehicle someone else will be. So if you're picked, best to lay everything else aside and go full esteem ahead. I mean at least Mai Farrow lived. That poor other girl.... not so much.

So I'm on the road to New York City for the Jell-O Mold competition hosted by Gowanus Studios. A whole competition. And the 3r d annual at that. I set the goal for myself to make a mold out of a bust I had of Barack Obama. And ladies and gentelmen... it worked!

On Friday I spent a few hours at Stony Brook Arts Center and learned heaps from Ben and Kevin about mold making. My expertise has significantly increased and I now something about vaccuum forming plastics. But more on that at another time. For now I am sticking with food safe platinum cured silicone rubber. (Wow that's a fingerfull to type). It's expensive stuff but it works really well if you are only making one ore two molds of something.

At Stony Brook, I made a box out of foam core and hot glue. Everything that I could do wrong I did. But learning should be just that. Make mistake...learn from it. We mixed up the material and degassed. The amount of air bubbles that came out of the liquid silicone was amazing.

My first mold (shown below) did not get degassed and it's riddles with tiny bubbles. However these tiny bubbled neither made me feel happy nor fine.

With Obama mold 2.0 there were absosmurfly no bubbles in it! I may have weird hobbies, or low expectations in life. but upon seeing this machine in operation, I was excstatic! Vacuum degassing chamber...where have you been all my life?!

Now I have the perfect bubble free mold, check it out below. So now I have wo molds to take to New York. One good but the new one even gooder. I'll post more about the process but right now I'm feeling a little carsick on the bus and need to not be staring at a computer screen.

More later.

Obama 1.0....

2011-06-18T09:12:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

This morning I unleashed the first Obama gelatin bust and......it was a disaster. The poor President came out in four separate pieces.

I made just a basic cherry jell-o fortified with one envelope of unflavored gelatin, but when I poured it into the mold, it started leaking out from the side! Que lastima! Obama needs some Obama care. Or Obomney care or... dang, how is the GOP spinning now?

All I know is trial one, not a success. But I'm trying to live by the entrepreneurial mode of experimentitude: "Fail fast, fail often." The weaknessess of this mold are becoming known to me, which is good. President Obama's head is too big for the skinny neck. At least in the model I am using. Even if I manage to release the gelatin in one piece his head is going to flop over at an unnatural angle. If only I had gone to Architectural, engineering, and art school. Is there still time to earn three degrees by next Saturday's competition?

Okay, I am off to Stony Brook Fine Arts in J.P. to release Obama 2.0. Through the amazing tutelage of Ben and Kevin, I believe this next mold will be structurally better, and I am hoping to get some advice on overcoming some of the structural/media difficulties I am encountering.

Hasta la Jello.

One week and one day

2011-06-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

One week and one day from today is the Jell-o Mold Competition in Brooklyn. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking about the jello, the aesthetics, the logistics. So many choices.

Today I am going to the Stony Brook Fine Arts center in Jamaica Plain. I've been looking for a vacuum degasser to eliminate nasty bubbles in my silicone medium. (Don't you just hate that?!). After a long search seriously about three months and many bizarre cold calls, I've finally found a place that has one. And merely blocks from my house. Isn't that ca-razee!?

Thanks to the helpful hands of Ben at the Stony Brook Fine Arts, I will be making my mold box and pouring my mold. It'll take about 24 hours to solidify and post-cure. Just in time to test out the jello recipe Michelle and I will be making on Saturday afternoon.

Here is a hosted by Thu Tran of IFC's Food Party as she narrates the Jello Competitors from 2009.

from The Feedbag on Vimeo.

Keep posted for more information on the road to Jell-o.

A call to arms.... Jello arms!

2011-06-14T16:33:00.000-04:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists!

It's been a while since my last posting. Worry not, jello was made, but I wasn't doing much documenting. More will come.

But I have some really exciting news! Gelology has entered the World Famous, International, Stanley Cup Finals of Jello Mold Competitions! I've entered the ...er.... Jello Mold Competition! Well, I think it's subtitled Jello's Big Adventure. I can't wait.

I've had a mold in mind for a while. All the components are sitting in my apartment and tonight the unveiling, the wheedling, the spackling, the gelmorgifying will begin. Mwah ha ha ha! (Insert flash of lightning and crack of thunder!).

I had this website bookmarked since last summer when I found out about the competition posthumously. Well, it wasn't dead, just over. There was an array of varying Jello molds, from edible agar cups, gelatinous Mother Mary's, and more. But I forgot all about it until something fired in my brain this afternoon and lo and behold the final day to register was today! Phew. Made it,

Now, if only there is still space available I'm in. But until I receive a sad and dastardly email proclaiming that there isn't space, then I am going to hope for the best.

So the preparation begins. Just like a mixed martial arts fighter, I shall begin my training. Tonight, let the games begin.

April Fooled!

2011-04-01T13:29:00.000-04:00

Knowledge is a dangerous thing.

And clearly, my co-workers have been learning a bit too much from this blog. So when I was out of the office, they ransacked my desktop belongings and used the power of Jello against me!

If you are a fan of "The Office" you are familiar with the following prank to which I was victim to.

And here are the perpetrators....

Mango Chili Lime Shots

2011-03-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hello Fellow Gelologists,

A friend of mine is traveling in Guatemala with her five year old son. Adventurous you might say, but that's Kristen. The two of them are having a great time and easting some of the most delicious fruit imaginable. Four years ago I traveled there with my friend Claire and stayed in the city of Antigua. There was an enormous mango tree just on the edge of her block. The fruit from this tree was amazing. Even better, was the lime juice and chili powder we added to the sweetest mangos ever tasted.

So here is a Guatemelan inspired gelatin shot.

Mango Lime Chili Madness

2 cup Mango nectar

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 cup Tequila

1/2 cup Lime Captain Morgan Rum

1/2 cup Margarita mix

1/2 cup Triple Sec

Chili powder

In a microwave proof bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the mango, lime juice, and sugar until boiling. If the mango juice is from fresh mangoes, you must boil it first and then let cool. Otherwise, enzymes inside the mango will breakdown the gelatin. If the juice is pasteurized, no problem. Stir, let cool, then add the alcohol.

Pour the mixture into molds or a baking dish and refrigerate for two hours.

Before serving, lightly sprinkle lime juice and chili powder on the top.

Enjoyemente!

Minty Julep

2011-03-07T13:04:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow gelologists,

Exciting news on the Astrobiology front. As of Friday night, astrobiologist Dr. Richard Hoover published findings of alien bacteria-like fossils found in a meteorite. Now, I will await more information, but this is a peer reviewed journal, so I give it credit. Where do we go from here?! Was life on Earth started by life from another planet? Stay tuned...

So how can we celebrate this finding, by making a gelatin shot. Okay, there's not connection between the science story and today's shots, but if you look at the photo, they seem inspired by such a mystery. Translucent pyramids, flecks of green leaves, alcohol. Yes, it's definitely the direct translation of a peer reviewed science article.

This mint julep shot was requested by Dante, who came over on Friday to explore his jello shot making ability. In fact, three friends were invited to design a shot. Normally, I spend my Friday nights making shots by myself. But then I thought, the shots make parties social, why not the making of them?

So here are the Dante's creations:

Mint Simple Syrup

1 cup water

1/2 cup mint leaves

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bourbon

In a small pot, heat the water, sugar and mint leaves to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for half an hour. Strain the syrup to remove leaves.

Mint Julep Shot

1 cup mint simple syrup

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

Rootbeer Reboot

2011-03-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow gelologists,

While at the local liquor store I stumbled upon a new product, well, new to me- alcoholic whipped cream. It's canned whipped cream infused with alcohol. The makers of this product come from Temperance, MI. Yes, Temperance. The irony. If you go to their website, you can read about their peculiar history and how they ended up there.

But I don't want to go on and on about alcoholic whipped cream. I'd rather do that with gelatin shots!

Today's shots are a revisit to some rootbeer shots, called Floaters, I made a couple of years ago. They were very basic and not very beautiful. But these are much, much, more noteworthy.

Rootbeer Rebooted
5-10 pieces of old fashioned rootbeer candy
1 cup of rootbeer, flattened
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup vanilla vodka
1/4 cup rootbeer schnapps

Optional
Alocohol infused whipped cream
Pretezel- the curvy kind.

To make the Rootbeer infused vodka, add the cup of vodka and candies into a glass container. Leave for several hours to dissolve. Strain the vodka through a sieve to remove any solids.

In a microwave proof bowl, add the Rootbeer and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over liquid. Microwave for 2-4 minutes until hot. Remove, cool, and add the alcohols.

For molds, I used some small plastic shot glasses I found at the grocery store. Lightly oil the inside of the glass and wipe off excess with a paper towel. Add the liquid and refrigerate for two hours.

To remove, use your finger to break the seal of the surface and then holding the shot glass with you opening away from you, using your fingers to cover the top, give quick shakes. This is how your supposed to get the ketchup out of the bottle, not the repetitive shakey-shake we all do.

Top with the cream and for added effect, break off the curvy part of the pretzel and add to the side to make it look like a mug handle!

Cheers!

Valentine's Day Revisited

2011-03-05T18:16:00.001-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Valentine's Day may long gone, but for those who didn't officially celebrate due to myriad reasons, why not make March 5th YOUR official Valentines Day. Maybe your previous day was sweet, maybe it was sour. So why not combine the elements of both into one delicious gelatin shot?!

These are my layered Strawberry Supreme Sour Cream Shots.

Strawberry layer
1 6oz box of Strawberry gelatin
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup pureed frozen strawberries in syrup
3/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup Vanilla Vodka
1/4 cup Strawberry pucker
1/4 Light rum

Sour Cream Layer
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 Tablespoon sugar

In a microwave proof bowl, mix the strawberry puree, strawberry gelatin, and cold water. Sprinkle the 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin and let absorb. Microwave for 4 minutes until the mixture is hot and the gelatin dissolve. Watch for over boiling!

Let the mixture cool and stir in the alcohols. (Is the plural of alcohol alcohols?) Anyways, irregardless, add the alcohols.

Prepare the sour cream layer. Add the sour cream to another microwave proof bowl and add the 1/2 cup water. Sprinkle on the unflavored gelatin and let absorb. Heat for 2 minutes, mix and cool.

Add half of the Strawberry mixture into your baking pan or fill just less than half of your silicon mold for layer one.

Place in the fridge and let it get semi-solid and spoon on the sour cream layer. Let it set again and add the remainder of the final strawberry layer. Let it set for 2 hours or place in the freezer to speed set. Top with chocolate shots or a small dollop of sour cream.

These tangy, tart and sweet shots will be just right to soothe the sordid heart.

Enjoy!

And the Oscar goes to......

2011-02-27T14:31:00.001-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Although it is snowing outside here in Boston, out in LA, the sun is shining and the red carpet is uhm... carpeting. It is that time of year when directors, producers, and actors pat themselves on the back....again. But this time it's the Academy Awards. Most people will be watching for Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Dressed. I am looking for most translatable into a jello shot.

The best contender so far is for Black Swan. It's those crazy huge pupiled, blood shot eyes that I see when I think of the film. So, here's my version of the movie in Jelluloid.

Black Swan Song Shots

For the black Pupils-
1 3 oz box grape jello
1 3 oz box lime jello
2 cups cola- flattened
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

For the white of the eyes-
1 1/4 cups water
2 enveloped unflavored gelatin
1/2 vodka
1/4 cup blackberry schnapps

Using a hemisphere flexible silicon mold, I spooned 1 tsp of the black jello into the sheres and set in the fridge for three minutes until tacky. Then I filled the remainder of the mold with the room white mixture. Let set for two hours and then remove.

To get the blood shot effect, I took a toothpick and some red food dye and outlined the eyes.

I'm pretty sure Natalie Portman had an eye double for the movie poster. Look closely at the opening photo and you'll see it was my jello!

Cotton Candy Dandies

2011-02-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

While at the local liquor store, Sav-Mor Liquors, I had a great conversation with one one of the ladies who works there. We started talking about new flavored vodkas and she pointed me to a Cotton Candy vodka. As she put it, "If I drank again, this is what I'd drink." With an endorsement like that, I had to try.

To compliment the vodka, I bought some real cotton candy and some Jelly Belly Cotton Candy jelly beans. These were one of the first flavors of Jelly Bellys that I'd ever tasted. I can remember going to Marshall Fields with my Mom in the 70's and if I was good, going upstairs to the candy department to pick out one bag of beans. In those days they only had six or seven flavors. I always struggled between the Green Apple and Cotton Candy. Making decisions was never my forte, even back then.

Back to the present. I decided to do an experiement. Which would taste better, fortifying the vodka with cotton candy or jelly beans? Being a scientist I carefully considered how to create a cotton candy infused vodka and one with simple syrup made with the jelly beans. Then I....

Who am I kidding? I ended putting both in. Double the pleasuer, double the fun. So much for experiment.

Here's the recipe.

Cotton Candy Dandies

2 cups water
1/2 cup pink lemonade powder
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
12 Cotton Candy Jelly Belly beans

2 cups Cotton Candy Vodka
1/2 lb. cotton candy

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a microwave proof bowl. Then add the lemonade mix and jelly bellies and microwave for 4 minutes on high. Remove, stir, and let cool. Remove any jelly bean solids still in the mixture.

To make the cotton candy infused vodka, just add the cotton candy which dissolves instantly.

Add the infused vodka and pour into molds or a 6x6 glass baking dish and let sit for 2 hours.

These things tasted like candy. Ok, no big revelation. But by far one of my favorite shots made yet.

Go ahead and ask for these at your local Candy Counter. They might have them if you're really good...

but more likely if you're really bad... ;)

Happy Valentimes!

2011-02-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Okay, for those who think there's a typo in the title, you're wrong. True, my hyperactivity and short attention span tends to result in poor grammar, dangling participles, and trailing off thoughts.......

Where was I? Oh yeah, ValentiMes. Something Homer said in a Simpson's episode what, two decades ago? Yikes. I sometimes forget that The Simpsons are still on TV. How do they manage to come up with new story lines?

Well, I may know an inkling of what that is like. Trying to come up with new gelatin shot ideas is also a challenge.

Today's shot was a variation of a pudding shot I made a couple of summer's ago.

Fudgie O the Shot

1 3 oz box of instant chocolate pudding
1 3 oz box of raspberry gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup soy mild (just cuz)
1/2 cup vanilla vodka
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1/4 cup Creme de Cacao

Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin onto the soy milk in a microwave proof bowl. Whisk in the pudding and raspberry gelatin. Microwave for three minutes until hot. Stir. Let sit until cool and add the alcohol.

Lightly oil a silicon mold or container with oil. Grape seed oil is best for it's viscosity and lack of flavor. Pour the mixture into the molds and refrigerate for two hours.

Top with chocolate shots or alcohol infused whipped cream from Cream out of Temperance, MI.

Happy Valentimes!

Gelology Tasting Party

2011-02-13T13:08:00.001-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Last night, thirty people came over to my apartment for a schmorgasboard of edible treats. I'm not quite sure how to spell smoorgasboord, and I'm too lazy to google it, and that's lazy. But it was a busy past forty-eight hours. Starting Friday I made over twelve different types of gelatins. Some layered, some fruit-filled, some gravity defying, but all delicious.

I'm working on a short video about gelatin shots for a class project. We thought it'd be fun to talk about people's perceptions of old school jello shots and then expose them to gourmet shots and record their reactions. It was also just a great excuse to invite people over to eat jello.

Over 300 pieces were made and within four hours, eight remained. Not a bad consumption rate.

Here's a photo of one serving platter. Thanks to Corey for the shot of the shots.

I'll be posting pictures and recipes of the shots over the next few days. Right now, I need a break. Well, not much of a break because I am making more shots for tomorrow's Valentine's Day benefit for the Fort Point Channel Theater. Come check out the reading and get free Gelology shots with the price of your ticket!

Four Layered Sriracha Shot

2011-02-09T17:07:00.001-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

The creativity in the kitchen has been low, but for a good reason. I was busy writing a play for the Eventide Arts Play Competition and am now on the final edits before submission. Phew! AND, I'm busy doing nothing. Nothing? Yes, nothing. This is the first time in two and a half years that I am not doing one of the Gold Dust Orphans plays, so I am relishing free time. It may seem like I should have MORE time, but I needed some time to just mellow..... no jello. I had forgotten what it was like to just go out and not talk about jello.

But don't let me fool you, I was constantly surveying the world for potential gelatin shots and man, do I have a lot of ideas. First, I am excited to say that I'm making a short video about gourmet jello shots. We've been having fun developing the idea and doing the initial shootings. Stay tuned for the finished project.

Also on the calendar, Gelology is making creative gelatin treats for Fort Point Channel Theater's Valentine's Day Benefit. The good people of FPC Theater are putting on a reading of Marquis De Sade's Justine at the Boston Playwright's Theater. So if you want something alterna-romantic to do on Valentine's Day come on down for some drama and jello.

Now for the main feature. Today's shot is a quadruple layered Pineapple, Lime, Coconut Srichaca shot. I went one more level with the sriracha themed shot from last month. From bottom to top we have a base of lime gelatin mixed with tequila and unflavored gelatin. Then comes a layer of coconut milk, unflavored gelatin and sriracha, followed by a pineapple gelatin with rum layer. Topping it all off is another cilantro infused coconut milk then solidified with unflavored gelatin.

Hasta luego...jello.

Yummy Gummy Jelly Shots

2011-01-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Recently a friend told me that he liked to soak gummy bears in vodka for a fun treat. I tried it and the result was .....yuck! Yes, they packed a punch, but the texture was not my thing. They were mushy on the outside, and stringy on the inside. Now, I know that some people feel that way about gelatin but alcohol soaked gummies are much more aesthetically challenged. So here's my attempt to upgrade them into a tasty treat.

First I soaked gummy worms in a mixture of vodka and cachaca overnight.

Then I chopped the worms into small chunks with a knife and put them in an IKEA ice tray mold that makes worm-like ice cubes.

The gelatin was a combination of Sprite, Knox Gelatin, Vodka, Cachaca. I get the mixture in the fridge for two hours and removed them to create something gummy and gelatiny (not a real word....yet) and tasty.

A little fun with Photoshop care of Allison.

Don't Be Skittish About These Skittles Shots.

2011-01-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow gelologists,

Happy New Year? For those in warmer climes, I hope you enjoyed champagne by the beach. For those of us in the cold, we had to content ourselves with ugly Christmas sweaters and gelatin shots.

Based on a suggestion from Allison in Connecticut, I made some Skittle liquor.

Skittles Liquor
Dissolve 8 Skittles pieces into 1/2 cup vodka and 1/2 cup peach schnapps in a glass container. Let sit for four hous. Strain using a coffee filter. The alcohol will have a brilliant color and nice tangy flavor.

From there, I made six different gelatin shots, one for each of the rainbow vodkas.

Red
3 oz box Strawberry Banana gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup of red Skittle liquor

Orange
3oz box of Orange gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup of orange Skittle liquor
2 Tbsp Triple Sec

Yellow
3oz box of lemon gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup of yellow Skittles liquor
2 Tbsp Limoncello

Green
3oz box of lime gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup of green Skittles liquor
2 Tbsp Southern Comfort

Blue
3oz box of berry blue gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup of blue Skittles liquor
2 Tbsp coconut rum

Purple
3oz box of grape gelatin
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup of purple Skittles liquor

Have a Happy January First!

These Shots Are on Fire! Sriracha Shotcha!

2010-12-31T14:45:00.000-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Happy Almost New Year! I was hard at work on a special shot inspired by Dr. Hammer, the resident Jellyfishologist (a studier of all fish jelly).

If she were here right now, she'd want you to know that 1) Jellyfish are not fish, but Cnidarians, 2) When there are many fish of the same kind they are referred to as fish, however if there many different kinds of fish then they are indeed fishes, and 3) she'd also like to let you know she loves Sriracha, the sauce of her soul.

When we were in D.C. for a convention, she took me to an amazing hamburger joint called, Good Stuff Eatery. It was started up by Chef Spike, a past contestant on Top Chef. The menu had a variety of hamburger, fries, milkshakes, and best of all -flavored mayonnaises. This was a phenomenon that took hold fifteen years ago in Montreal, where fat and grease are welcome, but now Good Stuff is telling us in the U.S. to no longer condemn this condiment. (Incidently, the acidity in mayonnaise retards bacteria growth. Poor mayonnaise always getting the bad wrap at a pic-nic.)

Back to the gelatin shot, so Drs. Hammer, Borrelli, and I sat around the table and discussed the novel uses for Sriracha:

-Contact lens solution enhancer? No.
-Eye make-up remover? No.
-Jello shot flavor? Yes!

So here they are, two months later.........

Pineapple Coconut Sricracha Shotcha!

These shots are two layered:

Pineapple layer
Pineapple gelatin - 3oz box
coconut water- 1 cup
crushed pineapple (drained) - 1/4 cup
coconut rum - 1 cup
Knox gelatin - 1 envelope

Coconut layer
Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Coconut water - 1/2 cup
Knox gelatin
Sriracha - to taste ( I added 1 teaspoon)

Sriracha and cilantro leaves for garnish.

These gelatin confections pack a punch. The sweet combined with the fire blends deliciously. However, you might need a traditional shot to quench the fire.

This batch was just the first of the many Sriracha explorations to come.

Enjoy!

Jelly bells, Jelly bells, it's Christmastime in my belly..

2010-12-27T16:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Here are the shots I created last week for the holiday festivities. Unfortunately I only had my three year old iphone, so the photo isn't great. (Sorry Apple)

The red layer is sugar free Wild Strawberry gelatin and the green, sugar free lime. Sugar-free, just cuz. I used the back to porch as a freezer and man, did they jellify quick. It is imperative that the first layer not solidify too much or the second layer won't stick. Luckily, the layers adhered and the eaters of the shots were satisfied.

Not much else to report.... yet. But just you wait for tomorrow. I am unleashing a whole new gelatin shot that will knock your socks off. So you best put on some socks in anticipation. Keep tuned...

Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year....

2010-12-21T19:30:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow gelologists,

Just cuz it's tis the season, I'm making some festive gelatin shots. Simple red and green bi-layers in a reeses cup. I'll get fancier soon enough.

Today marks the official start of gelatin season. Yes, I know many people think of summer, where picnics abound and cool and fruity jell-o refreshes the palette. But winter is really the time where mass quantities can be produced. What a better freezer than the great outdoors. I just put a tray of shots on the porch. (Don't worry they are covered in saran wrap) and they should be set in no time.

While I wait, it's time for some Christmas music! It's not appropriate to hear such tunes outside of the acceptable Christmas song season (Black Friday > Christmas music listening < January 2nd) That's how I mathematically equate the appropriate time. Right now The Waitresses are rocking out, then some good ol' Vince Guaraldi, followed by Ella. AND of course time to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. It's full of incomprehensible jokes to a seven year old (I want restitution ?!?!), oddly sad and yet the most satisfying all the Christmas specials. In celebration, here is the always pleasing dance sequence.

Enjoy the first official day of Winter and I'll have some gelatin pics for you tomorrow.

Scooby Doo Mystery Shot

2010-10-26T18:15:00.000-04:00

What could this be?

Wait for it..

Wait for it....

Boo Yeah!

Hello Gelophiles,

I wanted to create a gelatin shot that combined the Science and Engineering Festival I went to last weekend and Halloween. What could I do? What could I make?

I went to the local Blood Bath and Beyond and searched their kitchen department. Do stores like that even have departments anymore? I think I am dating myself. Anyway, I found these Halloween cookie cutters and loved the ghost shape.

Back at home, I thought about all the science booths that I saw in DC, and the one I loved the most was an interactive fly over Greenland and map glaciers. The aerial views of Greenland are spectacular and quickly disappearing.

Here is my attempt to honor the glacial views, haunting spirits, and alcoholic spirits.

Glacial Ghosts
Blue gelatin
Lime gelatin
Sweetened Condense milk
Knox gelatin
Svedka berry vodka
Peach Schnapps

I would have gotten away with these shots if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!

White House, Red House, Blue House

2010-10-23T07:01:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles.

I am in Washington D.C for a science education conference on the Mall. In honor of the visit to the Capital CIty, I pulled out the White House gelatin molds I made back in 2008. You can see the whole process of how they were created in that blog.

For today's shots, I just wanted to reflect the conflicted views my fellow Americans are having with the present political parties. Here are the White House shots, red and blue, so that you can lean toward your political views and then hopefully lean against something when you've had too many.

I refuse to make them in a tea flavor.

The shots are Da Bomb!

2010-10-22T16:27:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

What's black, fruity, and packs a powerful punch? It's the black cherry bomb shot.

The Players:

I made a grape gelatin base with whiskey, vodka, and grenadine. In the center of the bomb is a marschino cherry soaked in vodka. And the final piece is a licorice fuse. And KA-POW!

Tonic Shot: Part 3 of 3

2010-10-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Here is the final installment of this three part series. I wanted to create a shot with a forensics feel. You know, what if there were hidden prints and shapes in the shots that only presented themselves under the correct lighting.

The alternating layers were:

Orange gelatin
Svedka vodka
Peach Schnapps

and

Tonic water
Knox Gelatin

Here are the results:

Regular Light

Black Light

Jello Jotz or Jitterz

2010-10-21T15:53:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

I was trying to figure out how to make gelatin that didn't have booze in it. I know, I know, why bother living? But hear me out, what if, I say, what if there was a jello shot that was good for you? What if there was a jello shot that could boost your performance? What if there was an anti-oxidant, energy shot!

And now there is. Thank goodness I am a trained scientists. I had convert measurements to milligrams, use a scale, run a whole taste testing study. But I think they turned out well.

Here is the first batch of...

Blueberry Buzz Buzz Jotz. Or Jitters. I can't decide which name I like better.

The players:

The shot.

One shot is equal to the caffeine of half a cup of coffee. Caffeine powder is a tricky beast. It could kill you if you add too much, and it adds a a heavy bitter taste to the shots. More experimentation with gelatin flavors, juices, and fruits is called for. Taste testers, get your tongues ready.

Dicey Shots

2010-10-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

At first they look like ordinary dice.....

Today's shot was inspired by a late night backgammon game. Wouldn't it be fun to play with what you eat and eat with what you play? So I made some edible dice.

Ingredients:

The Dice
Cola
Black food coloring
Vodka

The Numbers
Water
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Knox Gelatin

After the gelatin was set, I cut the sheet into cubes and using a straw cored out the number holes. Then I added drops of the white gelatin into the holes and set in a freezer until firm.

They're so good that Lady Gaga is going to make a dress of them and sing "Can eat my, can eat my, yes you can eat my poker dice, they're made from jello and some vodka."

Polka Dot Shots aka "Funfetti"

2010-10-19T15:09:00.001-04:00

Playing around in the kitchen on Sunday, I started to have fun with gelatin graffiti. I dipped a fork into some green gelatin and let the liquid drip off the tynes onto the surface of some solidified orange gelatin. Nothing dramatic, but I liked the idea.

I made a clear gelatin with sprite, simple syrup, tonic water, and some citric acid. After pouring a thin layer into a 9x9 pan, I let it set and then decorated the surface with red, green, blue, and yellow gelatin. The room temperature gelatin danced around the surface of the clear solidified gelatin. It was incredibly cool. The droplets solidified within a few seconds from just coldness of the clear layer. I then poured more clear gelatin, refrigerated it, and then repeated with the dots.

As a child, I had this book about a polar bear at the zoo that could make different colored dots appear on it's fur. The illustrations were vibrant and mesmerizing; these shots bring back that same soporific effect. Maybe I just ate too many of them.

I really loved the polka dot layering effect that came out and look forward to going further with it. Credit must be given to my co-worker Julia for the re-naming of the shots. Hooray forFunfetti!

Share

Kandy Korn Shots

2010-10-18T15:44:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Life is accepting challenges. So this weekend I was challenged to design a shot for a Halloween party. Something festive, themey, and delicious. The first thing that came to me was, "Can you melt Candy Corns and put them into gelatin." And just like that, my scientific brain deduced that 1) They are made from mostly sugar and corn syrup, and 2) gelatin is mostly sugar and protein, 3) the sigmoid curve of the viscosity must be equal to one over infinity. Therefore, by the asymptotic angle side angle postulate, candy corn must be dissolvable in gelatin!

I bought a bag of candy corn and had a grand ol' time dividing them into their separate component colors. Come on, who doesn't bite off each color with their front teeth, slowly torturing the poor candy corn from the bottom up, leaving the creamy white head for last? It can't be just me?

It's probably just me.

Anyway, after meticulous candy corn dissecting, I dissolved each color segregated layer into an appropriate gelatin and fortified with some unflavored knox.

Here are the players in our delicious challenge:

Through the ancient art of alchemy, the recombine to form these:

And with the artistic stylings by Allison, here's what a zombie hand holding a devil pumpking eating one of my shots might look like.

German Gello Schatze!

2010-10-17T12:24:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

A co-worker of mine brought me a bunch of gelatin products from her last trip back to the Rhineland. I realize I've become one of those people who is fixated on a product or symbol and whose friends build upon that. One day you like unicorns and the next you have a living room chock full of Unicorn figurines. I'm not talking from experience....

So with the translational aid of Britta, we created some German Gello Schatze. This was the first batch. We used the excitingly named Gotter Speise and added vodka, Kirsch, and just a splash of Jaegermeister.

We were feeling kind of lazy so we just let it solidify in the bowl and ate it with spoons.

Here's Britta doing her best stern German girl face. She actually blurred the camera. Schnell schnel! Raus! That's all I know how to say in German.

Edible Petri dishes

2010-10-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Here's a little dedication to the scientists who also like to let loose and eat edible treats. I used apple juice for the agar-like gelatin and then tried to figure out what could look like bacteria colonies, but still, well you know, look like you want to eat it.

It was simple, i just used a fork to add drops of green gelatin onto the solidified apple gelatin. Suddenly I wonder why there isn't apple Jell-o. I feel like there was at one time. There are also used to be Jell-o 1 2 3 which separated into three distinct layers. Jello, a frothy solid mixture, and a hybrid interface. Again, that disappeared off the shelves. Maybe there is a Jell-o failure conspiracy.

Here are the photos.

Caramel Apple Cider Shots

2010-10-15T14:59:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

Today's shots were inspired by a recent apple picking outing. Back in California every transplanted east coaster says "Gee, I miss the fall. You could go apple picking." Well, as a former transplant back who's now back on the East Coast just let me say this, no one ever goes apple picking. You try, you think about, but you don't. And fall is cold. Don't even get me started on winter.

Finally after four years back, I finally went. And it was fun. And we ate apples. But the real fun came from thinking about how I jellify and boozy up this confection. Here's my attempt.

Caramel Apple Cider Shots
Apple Cider
Maple Syrup
Knox Gelatin
Sugar
Dark Rum
Cinnamon Schnapps
Homemade caramel
Chopped Peanuts

The next time someone tells you they want to move back to the East Coast because they miss the seasons, feed them these shots and tell them the seasons are overrated.

Supersonic Tonic Shots

2010-10-13T15:44:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

In today's second part of a three parter series, I created a glowing gin and tonic shot. I'm a fan of Hendrick's Gin combined with some tonic and lime wedge. Be it known that the gin and tonic came about as a way of battling malaria. The story goes that the British were having a bad go and the mosquito-borne disease and at the time, Quinine was the only known palliative. Quinine was dissolved in water to create tonic water and then mixed with gin and lime juice to quell the bitter taste. Thus was born the gin and tonic.

Take it forward a hundred years or so and this delicious drink has been Gelologinized into a delicious viscous treat.

Super Sonic Tonic Shot
Hendricks Gin
Tonic Water
Unflavored gelatin
Lime Juice
Lime curls

Thanks to Allison Planka-Gray for the souped up version of the main photo. They weren't really taken in space. But if you have too many, you'll definitely sees stars.

Turn on your black light..... Part 1

2010-10-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

Hello Gelophiles,

This is an idea I've had for a while, but it's going to be a multiple-parter. Here's part one, the testing ground. My tenth grade biology teacher once told me that tonic water (aka Quinine) glows under a black light. As does cat urine. Hmmm. So what would happen if I made a gelatin shot out of quinine?

In this first part of a very special gelology blog, I made a sciency gel. I combined tonic water and unflavored gelatin to see what it would look like. Here are the preliminary results.

Here's the gel under normal light. I added drops of food coloring to try and simulate a DNA gel used in forensics.

And now, here's the gel under blacklight!

I'm looking forward to playing around with this idea. Stay tuned for part two. Don't worry, it doesn't involve cat urine.

Turn on your blacklight. In the middle of a science geeks dream.....

Minty Pineapply Mojito Madness

2010-10-11T10:06:00.001-04:00

Hello Gelophiles!

A trip back to my high school homeland inspired a little gelatin shot madness. Through my friend Thea, we created these beautiful shots and had a great time getting all fancy schmancy with the photo shoot. Recently I've been neglecting the aesthetic side of the presentation. When my main customers are 208 flag football players exhausted from hours of game playing, I focus on quantity and not photographic quality.

So here is the return to style. A big thanks to Thea and Allison.

I hope you enjoy.

Minty Pineapply Mojito Madness

Lime gelatin
Pineapple juice (not fresh!)
Lime juice (fresh)
Muddled Mint leaves
Rum
Simple Syrup

"How Much More Black Can This Be? And The Answer Is, None."

2010-09-17T20:36:00.000-04:00

Name the source of the quote and win a free gelatin shot. WITHOUT Googling it or using any other internet search engine!

The start of the flag football league is upon us. Last week was the very important choosing of the color followed by the picking of a name. Now, this is not just any flag football league. There are 208 members, sixteen teams, and sixteen games every Saturday. It is a well organized, professional rec league, that is chock full of creative peeps. So, the color is very important as your name needs to incorporate it. Past names have been "We're Bringing Sexy Black", "Nobody Puts Baby Blue In the Corner" and my personal favorite " And Then There's Mauve." But more importantly for me, the color of the team will guide my gelatin shot concoctions for the next two months.

This year's team is headed by Robert Saurer and the color he chose was......Black. Black! Of all the possible colors the two I hoped we wouldn't get were black and silver. And yep, we got black. The people around me tried to console me with such sayings as, "You could make a licorice gelatin shot." Two thoughts, first- Yuk! Second, name a black licorice liquid that you could dissolve gelatin into? None.

So after a quick google search (hey, I can use it, just not you. no cheating!) I found that the Jell-O website had a color scheme specifically for football gelatin teams. (Damn, I really want to work for them) So according to the site black= 2 boxes of grape (purple) and one box of lime (green). The only problem is grape Jell-0 is becoming increasingly rare. You may not realize this, but the variety of Jell-O flavors available on the supermarket shelves is decreasing. Jobs, unemployment benefits, and yeah, Jell-O. It's a tough world out there. Don't even try to find pineapple.

Luckily I had a couple of boxes of grape squirreled away in my cupboard. If ever the apocalypse comes and you want some Jell-O, I have it. Except for grape, I used it all up today. So, I veered from the guidelines and mixed in some other Jell-o colors, then added some food coloring (but not too much because it will leak out of the shot and stain fingers, tongues, and well.. it affects what exits your body too.) But enough about that.

Here is my latest creation, the Black Mamba #5 Gelatin Shot.

What I really love about this one is the Milky Way that appeared on the surface. So here are the first official shots for Team: Black and Deckya.

Jellobotomy

2010-07-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

Fear not friends. Although I took a hiatus in blogging about gelatin shots, I've not taken a break from making them. Remember Lost? That super huge phenomenon that took up precious time for the past seven years? Well, in honor of the mush it made my brain trying to determine what was the smoke monster? Where did The Others come from? Why did they just drop the Walt plot line, I made a mushy gelatin shot brain.

The mold I got on-line and for the gelatinous creation I made a peach/orange shot with food coloring to get the perfect grey matter coloration. The detail of the mold is awesome. You can see the cerebellum, pons, and brainstem. Which, because of a alcohol and the brain curriculum I developed, I can tell you in excruciating detail how they are affected by alcohol. But I digress.

The Jello was amazing, the final episode of Lost...... Well... still debatable.

I say Jello You say Jelly

2009-09-01T12:44:00.000-04:00

Hello all,

I made a quick trip over to London this past weekend and had the chance to make some alcoholic jellies, as they are called over in the U.K.

My first alcohol novelty encounter was during a walk along theThames. There I discovered that you can sell alcohol out of a street cart in downtown London. These blokes were making boozie smoothies right outside the National Theater. According to the owner, you only need a personal alcohol license and a premise license. The National Theater had granted him the premise license. Such a different world over there. I think I'd have to give my first born's first born to get a license in Boston. I had a delicious Strawberry smoothie with a shot of Bacardi and Antonio had the Peach Vodka smoothie.

From there we strolled over to the headquarters of Bompas and Parr. Alas, there was no Willy Wonkesque factory to be seen. They were out at Carnival at Notting Hill, as was most of London, eating and drinking and getting merry like Christmas.

Sunday night, I had the fortune of eating a delicious Sunday roast dinner at Hannah and Chris's. As the conversation progressed to jello shots (OK, what else do I talk about!??! I dragged the conversation to it and they politely listened), Hannah showed me the sheet gelatin that they use in the UK. There is no flavoring, similar to the powdered Knox that we use in the States.

As a thank you for the dinner I made an orange juice, peach, vodka jelly for their picnic the next day. It was my first time using metric scales outside of a lab. (Why do we still use cups and ounces?????) Playing by ear, I dissolved the gelatin, OJ, splash of orangina, and some water in a pan. Then I cooled it and mixed in Smirnoff and some grenadine. I think I made a decent treat for my new English friends.

The dinner conversation also led to savory meat alcohol jellies. I think I've found a whole new branch to delve into. Hmmm.

That's it for now. Maybe I should make a trek around the globe exploring the wide world of jellies. Feel free to sponsor me.

Tequila Blue

2009-08-28T15:33:00.000-04:00

This past week, I had the perfect weather to make more gelatinous creations. For a beautiful garden party in Provincetown, I made some Margarita and Berry Blue geks. The bluberries are just past season, but still abundant and inexpensive at markets around town.

I would like to make blueberry puree and then make a tri-layered shot. Next time....next time.

Salieri-o

2009-08-25T10:20:00.000-04:00

Have you seen or read Amadeus? There's a scene when Mozart makes his entrance and Salieri, the court composer, plays a piece he wrote to welcome Mozart. Then Mozart critiques it, sits down and makes a masterpiece of it. Well, that's a little bit about how I feel right now. Except I didn't receive any harsh criticism nor am I feeling burning jealousy. So I guess, my situation is not really like that at all, rather, I have, through the power of the internet, met my Mozart of Jello. Mozarts to be exact- Bompas and Parr.

I went onto the Jello website yesterday to see what those crazy Kraft conglomerates were up to and I saw this posting about the Jellymongers- Bompas and Parr. I clicked on the link and WHOA! The creativity and expertise these gents show is ridonkulous! They had a jello White House. Hey, I had a jello White House(see my posting from InAGARation in January. But, theirs... oh my lord..their's made mine look like a three year's old drawing of his family. You know, the heart is in it, but the fine motor skills aren't quite developed.

So check out these guys and the amazing work they do over in London. Road trip anyone?

Drag Queen Jello Wrestling!

2009-08-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy summer for Gelology and my postings have all but stopped. Ok, they stopped, forget the "all but." But it's not for lack of fun and events. Back in July the infamous Drag Queen, Kris Knieval, was hosting Drag Queen Jello Wrestling at a bar in Boston. Jello, wigs, makeup... sounds like a recipe for disaster and fun!

Kris's mother works for a retirement home, so we were able to purchase the gallon bags of Jello which save you significant amounts of money. Their first time doing the event, Kris told me they cleared out an entire grocery store's stock of 3oz Jello boxes! This bulk Jello box had three different flavors, Lime, Orange, and Lemon. Kris told me he avoided any red Jello, as the wrestlers ended up stained pink for the next 24 hours.

The Jello Wrestling was scheduled for Monday night, so the day before we met up in the kitchen of the bar and began preparing forty gallons of Jello.

After four hours, we were done. The containers were in the walk in and we walked away sweaty and sticky. From the Jello! Come on people.

On Monday, I arrived at the bar and the tech guys were busy inflating the pool. I brought out the numerous containers that the Jello had been placed in, and it was wiggly and jiggly and ready to go. We dumped the jello into the pool. It made a satisfying sound as the large chunks of jello releases from the container and slurped into the pool. The unfortunate thing was green, orange, and yellow makes....brown. Not so pretty.

The drag queens showed up and so did the patrons. By the time the jello shots came out and the drag queens started wrestling, more fun was had than a barrel full of monkeys. Make that more fun than a jello-filled barrel of cross-dressing monkeys.

The Mandarin

2009-07-02T11:38:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't have fond memories of Jello with fruit embedded in it from their elementary school cafeteria. I was always a fan of the green Jello with mandarin orange slices in it. However, I was never a fan of the orange jello with shaved carrots.

So, I created a new gelatin shot with my gelatin/fruit combination.

Plus, I used a new silicon mold I purchased at AC Moore Arts and Crafts store. The mold looked like little suns and with the lack of sunshine we've been having in Boston, I figured these shots could brighten up the day.

The Madarin

1 6oz box lime gelatin
1 envelope Knox
1 can (14oz) mandarin orange slices
1 1/2 cup Absolut Mandarin
1/2 peach schnapps

When I was a kid I remember drinking the juice from the can, so I decided to add the juice and slices into the shots. Next up, I'll make some shots with fruit cocktail.

Meanwhile, if you have a facebook account, become a fan of Gelology!

Happy almost 4th of July.

The Experiment

2009-06-28T13:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received an email asking "Can you make jello shots using just Knox and alcohol?" First, it was exciting to get an email soliciting advice about gelatin shots. Second, it reminded me of an experiment I did with a friend about a month ago. He wanted to make pure Scotch shots, so we tried.

There are two main problems with making pure alcohol shots. The first is that you have to dissolve the Knox in hot to boiling liquid. Alcohol has a lower evaporation point than water so when you boil it, the alcohol disappears, thus negating the effect of a super packed shot. The second problem is gelatin doesn't set as well in alcohol. But that you can overcome by just adding more Knox. A general rule of thumb is one envelope knox for every cup of liquid. For pure alcohol shot, try 1 1/2 to 2 envelopes for every cup of liquid.

Here was our experiment:

Scotch- Neat and Jiggly

1 envelope Knox gelatin
1/4 cup Scotch (to heat up)
3/4 cup Scotch (room temperature)
some orange zest

In a small microwave proof bowl, add the 1/4 cup Scotch and sprinkle the Knox over the liquid. Let stand one minute. Microcwave for 2-3 minutes until hot. Remove from microwave and stir. Wait to 5 minutes until cool and add the 3/4 cup room temperature Scotch and stir until mixed.

Pour into a container and set in the freezer for 30 minutes.

I would have to say, they were truly bits of solid Scotch. The translucence of the shots was intriguing. Rodin liked them, and that's what counts.

Raspberry Berets

2009-06-20T12:54:00.000-04:00

The kind you'd make for a 31st birthday.

A friend of mine turned thirty-one last week and when I asked him what kind of shots he'd like, he replied- raspberry. Alright then. With that in mind I made some raspberry cranberry cocktail shots.

Raspberry Berets

1 6oz. box of raspberry gelatin
2 envelopes Knox Gelatine
1 3/4 cups cranberry cocktail
1 1/4 cups raspberry smirnoff vodka
3/4 cup peach schnapps

Mocha Choca Latta Jelloooo

2009-06-19T20:25:00.000-04:00

Recently I went on to the Jello website to see what they had posted. Lo and behold, they actually had a Jello shot page. It's called their Jello Lounge and you have to type in your birthday to be allowed access. How parental! On the site they had some great ideas. Hey, I can't accuse them of stealing mine, they did invent the stuff didn't they? But what really blew my mind was that they had a recipe where they combined Jello and Pudding! Oh My God! Can it be done?! Yes, it can. So here is my variation on their Orange Mocha Minis.

Mocha Choca Latta Shottas

1 6 oz. box of Orange gelatin
1 3 oz. instant chocolate pudding
1 3/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Svedka vodka
1/2 cup coffee liquor

Mix the jello and hot water. Let cool. Mix pudding and alcohol and beat. Combine and let sit in fridge for three hours. You can definitely boost the adult kick by adding more vodka and reducing the coffee liquor.

I had some fun taking photos in the garden of where I'm staying in Cape Cod.

And look, I even found my new shot girl!

The Green Monstah goes West

2009-06-17T21:09:00.000-04:00

A bartender here in Boston makes the most delicious green drink. He is truly a mixologist. I watch in awe as he takes a whole smorgasbord of liquids and shakes away producing this elixir that makes me happy and if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad. This is my rendition of this, as of yet , unnamed drink.

I'm calling my shots The Green Monstah after the infamous wall at Fenway park.

The Green Monstah

6oz box of lime gelatin
2 envelopes of Knox gelatine
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/4 cup margarita mix
1/4 cup coconut rum
1/4 cup peach schnapps
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup apple pucker

After I mixed all this up I put them in my favorite silicon cups and let them gelatify (not a real word) in the fridge. I made these for a friend's going away party. He is taking the leap of faith and leaving the East Coast for the West. The combination of tart and sweet were well received, even by people from Ireland and Serbia who had never had a gelatin shot before!

True Blood Shots

2009-06-16T17:10:00.001-04:00

These shots were inspired by the HBO series "True Blood." If you are not familiar with it, it's a show about Vampires in deep woods Louisiana. The Japanese have created a synthetic blood product so that vampires can now live peaceably among humans...or so we think. Interesting premise, and the perfect inspiration for...... gelatin shots.

I looked at some Bloody Mary recipes and then played around in the kitchen. Here is the recipe I decided upon.

True Blood Shots
8oz V-8 Juice
1 envelope knox gelatine
Juice from 1 lime
a couple dashes worcester sauce
1/4 teaspoon wasabi
1/2 3oz package of lemon jello
3/4 cup Vodka
1/4 cup saki

I must say they looked cool. You can serve them on a wooden stake! Or skewer, whichever you have lying around the house. Taste, however.....hmmm. Let's just say they weren't the best shots I ever made. But that fits with the theme of the show. The synthetic blood supposedly meets the nutritional needs of the Living Dead but still leaves them longing for their human delicacies. For we the viewers, the shots allow us to play True Blood drinking games, like every time Jason Stackhouse appears shirtless you take a shot.

How would I rate these shots? Not A+ or -, nor B+ or B-, but maybe an O. These would be served best as a garnish with a real Bloody Mary.

Or blood.

A Pack of Pickled Peckers

2009-06-16T14:19:00.001-04:00

Well, not pickled, but gelatified. This past weekend I made over 500 gelatin shots for the Boston Pride Parade. There were several parties Friday night as well as a plethora of brunches on Saturday. Ok, there wasn't a plethora, but a whole heckuva lot-thora.

What says Pride better than a rainbow of gelatin shots in the shape of a penis. I made six different kinds of shots, one from each color of the rainbow.

Raspberry Shequilas
Raspberry gelatin, tequila, knox, strawberry margarita mix, raspberry pucker

Fuzzy Navels
Orange gelatin, knox, peach schnapps, and vodka

Five Alive
Lemon gelatin, Mandarin vodka, Ruby Red Vodka, Limoncello, Sweetened Lime Juice

Lime Shequilas
Lime gelatin, tequila, triple sec, margarita mix

Blue Balls
Berry Blue gelatin, vodka, peach schnapps

Grape Balls of Fire
Grape gelatin, blackberry brandy, grape pucker, vodka

They went like hotcakes. Ok, they went more like penis shaped gelatin shots, which is a whole heckuva a lot more fun.

Thanks to Shawn for the photos.

Marathon Monday

2009-06-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

Back in April I made some gelatin for Marathon Monday (aka Patriot's Day). This is the day when approximately 20,000 runners hit the streets in Natick and run, run, run all the way to Boston. Last year I ran for a charity and had a great experience. About twenty hours each week were spent running the wintery streets of New England. It definitely kept the blues away. But this year I chose to dedicate my time to other projects, like making gelatin. Healthy alternative? I like to think so.

Thinking back to the marathon I clearly remembered the water and gatorade stations. It was a warm day for the race and I definitely lived for the liquid refreshment. So, what kind of gel could I make to simulate that experience.....

I know, Orange Gatorade gelatin! I started with powdered gatorade, which was difficult to find, and added unflavored gelatin to it.

Jello Performance Art

2009-06-09T16:55:00.000-04:00

I just spent a lovely weekend up in Provincetown(aka Problemstown) with some friends. They have the most amazing house and in the front, surrounded by a fairy tale-like hedge fence is the most immaculate garden. The varieties of flowers is astounding. I was entranced by there the black Irises that became iridescent in the late afternoon sun.

On the first day, the weather was more murder mystery than sunny pre-summer day. The fog was thick and so heavy it felt like suspended raindrops. Well, er, I guess that's what fog IS, but you know. You can could actually feel the mist drops landing on you as you walked. I all but expected a zombie arm to come of it. Rodin and I took that time to go shopping for shot supplies. Normally the Stop n Shop in Ptown has the best assortment of Jello. But there were hardly any flavors. I guess they haven't geared up for the summer Jello glut yet. On the way back we stopped by the Police Station and applied for street performer licenses. All it takes is a valid Driver's License. And what do you know? ! We can now LEGALLY mime on the streets of Provincetown. Watch out world!

Ok, so the fog was making us crazy. But eventually it cleared and left us a sunny kitchen to make... you guessed it...... Gelatin Shots.

I was down to my last two boxes of watermelon gelatin. It is sooo delicious, but I'm not going to let a little thing like scarcity stop me from trying out a new recipe.

These shots were made from watermelon gelatin, tequila, peach schnapps, apple pucker, and cranberry juice.
It's a variation from a recipe found in "Party Shots" by Mittie Hellmich. It was the recipe book given to me by Michelle, my jello shot mentor. I call these "Shequila Shots" after the infamous tranny performer Shequita. Most known for performances on "America's Got Talent" but who also puts on an amazing show at the Barracuda in New York City.

I used the penis ice molds I found at Spencer's Gifts. After an hour in the freezer they were ready. Sean and I had a little fun using the macro function on his camera. Look how beautiful the pictures came out, and with the garden in the background. I would have to say these are the classiest photos of a penis gelatin shot anywhere on the whole wide web!

Look for us soon on the streets of Ptown doing Jello Performance Art. Interpret it as you will.

Eggcellent Surprise Shot

2009-04-12T07:30:00.000-04:00

OK. This is it for the egg puns and Easter shots. While brainstorming ideas, the ultimate idea came up. What if we could make a jello shot inside a real eggshell! Could we? Should we? After a quick google search, we realized that it has been done before. And if it's on the internet, it has to be true! Right?

To start, I unfolded a paper clip and punctured a hole in both ends of an egg.

I blew out the egg innards and then rinsed with hot water for ten minutes until the liquid coming out was clear and non foamy. Now, a chef friend of mine told me the risk of salmonella from eggs is pretty low, especially if you buy eggs from healthy egg farms. To be sure of not sickening my guests, I microwaved the egg shells for two minutes on high.

For the shots, I made more Strawberry Daquiri and Watermelon margarita shots. I thought both the brilliant red and green insides would heighten the wow factor when someone cracked the egg open.

Pouring the gelatin into the eggs was tricky. I had to enlarge one hole and plug up the other whole with wax. Using a funnel, I poured the gelatin in and then set the eggs in a carton in the fridge for two hours.

After that, I plugged the top hole with wax, and set the eggs in easter egg dye. When the guests arrived I handed them the eggs without telling them what was inside. They were amazed, then skeptical, then amazed, then still skeptical. Needless to say, everyone enjoyed them.

Poached Egg Shots

2009-04-12T07:18:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to the third in a series of gelatin shots designed for Easter. This blogisode will introduce you to the poached egg shot. It was a variation of the Huevos gelatos from the previous blog entry. I had extra sweet condensed milk from the Gelushi and extra Pina colada gelatin, so I thought, "hmm, can I make a shot that looks like an actual poached egg?" Here's my attempt.

Egg white
1 16 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 envelops knox
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup creme de cacao
1/2 cup vodka

Yolk
1 3oz box pineapple Jello
1 envelop Knox gelatine
1 cup hot water
1 cup vodka

I made the yolk in a small plastic container and set in the freezer for one hour. Once it was solid I cut into circular pieces to resemble yolks.

Then I filled the bottom half of the eggs molds with the white layer, added a yolk, and then closed the egg molds. I continued to pour the white layer into the mold using a funnel. After three hours in the fridge they were ready to be released and eaten. It would be fun to serve on a plate with some gummy bacon!

Huevos gelatos

2009-04-12T06:33:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter! This weekend was a flurry of gelatin shot ideas. We had so much fun making the Gelushi, that we brainstormed other Easter gelatin shot idea. Michelle and I are big egg decorating fans. In fact, it was three years ago that I met Michelle when I was invited by a mutual friend to Kegs N Eggs party. I was blown away by her Eggstravaganza. She had every kind of decorating kit imaginable plus she even had the original 1970's egg vice that clamped onto and egg and allowed you to spin the egg while markers made perfect circles. I had met my holiday match. Michelle also served me my first Jello shots and the rest, as they say, is history.

Michelle found some egg-shaped plastic jello molds on the internet a while back. What was great was that they had patterns etched on the inside so that the jello looks like it is decorated. You could use regular plastic eggs as well. Just cut or drill a large hole into the top and place the eggs in an egg carton to stand upright. We decided to make four different colors, red, yellow, green, and orange.

For the red eggs, we made strawberry daquiri shots. The orange were orange Jello, peach schnapps, and vodka for a fuzzy navel. For the green, we were really excited to find a new maker of gelatin. Jelly Belly, the maker of the best jelly beans in the world, now also makes gelatin. They had a green watermelon gelatin. So we made those into watermelon margaritas. Finally, Michele had been saving a special edition Jello brand flavor she found in a store in Pennsylvania- Pina Colada Jello. Yum! We mixed that with Malibu rum.

(Red) Strawberry Daquiri
1 6oz box Strawberry gelatin (large box)
2 envelopes knox gelatin
2 cups hot water
2 cups Rum

(Green) Watermelon Margarita
1 3oz box Jelly Belly Watermelon gelatin
1 envelope Knox
1 cup hot water
1 cup Sauza Gold Tequila. This did affect the color a bit. You can use Blanco instead.

(Yellow) Pina Colada
1 3 oz box Pina Colada Jello (really hard to find). You can also use Pineapple (Still hard to find)
1 envelope Knox
1 cup hot water
1 cup Malibu Rum

(Orange) Fuzzy Navel
1 3oz box orange gelatin
1 envelope Knox
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup Vokda
1/4 cup peach schnapps

We prepared the egg molds by spraying the insides lightly with vegetable oil. Then we poured the poured the gelatin liquid into the molds using a funnel and set them in the freezer for thirty minutes. After that we placed in the fridge for another hour.

So when the egg decorating party goers arrived, we served these eggstra special treats while they decorated the real eggs.