Eggcellent Surprise Shot

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

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

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.

Gelushi

Happy Easter for all those in the mood to color eggs, and eat marshmallow Peeps! Michelle and I went to town for her annual Kegs and Eggs party. Fruity multi-colored gelatin and Easter go together like knives and pumpkins. In my house they do at least. For this event we started by making a gelatin shot inspired by the Food Librarian. She has the most amazing collection of baking recipes. Michelle forwarded me her recipe for Broken Glass Jello and instantly we knew it had to be made into a shot.

We pretty much followed the Food Librarian's guidelines for making the gelatin but instead of just adding one cup of hot water for the colors, we added 1 cup hot and then after cooling, 3/4 cup vodka and 1/4 cup peach schnapps. This we did the day before the party and let them chill overnight.

Then next day we cut the cubes up into one inch squares and made the binding layer of hot water, unflavored gelatin, and sweetened condensed milk. We placed in the freezer for an hour and then transfered to the fridge and it was ready to go.

Most people thought it was sushi at first so we decided to call these Gelushi- patent pending, of course.

The Leprechaun's Shot of Gold!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Or if you're in Boston- Happy Evacuation Day! From what I've learned, Evacuation Day celebrates the departure of the British from Boston during the Revolutionary War. Whereas St. Patrick's Day was used as propaganda to get Irish Americans to feel patriotic towards the U.S. and enlist in the Spanish-American War.

Nowadays, adults just like to drink outside and watch marching bands go by.

In honor of this Green Holiday, I made two types of gelatin shots- The first I called car bombs. Not quite like the drink but close.
I combined lime gelatin, whiskey, Bailey's, creme do cacao, and spearmint schnapps. I always forget that when working with Bailey's it floats to the top and looks very unappealing. Like milk curdling in vinegar. But worry not, it solidifies and gives the shots and double layered effect.

The second shot was the Irish Flag. I made a three layered shot with lime gelatin, orange gelatin, and milk. To make the milky white layer I combined unflavored gelatin, sugar, and evaporated milk. The booziness came from Vodka and Triple Sec. The real trick is timing the pouring of the layers. I pre-make all the gelatin and leave them in containers at room temperature. They won't congeal if you keep it about 68 degrees. Stir them occasionally to retard the gellifying process. Then I pour one layer, place the tray in the freezer, then wait. I get a little impatient and keep opening the door and poking which can mess up the surface. You want it to be think enough to support the next poured layer but not to solid. If the layer gets too solid than the new layer will not adhere and when you cut the finished product, it separates- so sad.



Well, the shots turned out perfect and I brought them around to a few parties to much cheers and bally-hoo- or whatever irish interjection you can come up with to accentuate the theme.

Now, to start planning for the Boston marathon. What to make? If you have any suggestions write em up. The best suggestion will get a free tray of shots for their marathon party!

Shot de Coeur for V Day, not VD day.

Happy Valentine's Day 2009.

Little do people know that this celebratory day hails all the way back to Ancient Rome. The days of February 13th through the 15th were known as Lupurcalia which a raucous festival featuring dog sacrifices, nudity, and flogging women to ward off infertility. According to Derek it was also a time where men and women would intermingle, go for a bit of coffee talk, and see if marriage was in the making. Hmm. Now it's a dreamy, romantical day for some and for others, namely waiters at fancy restaurants, a nightmare.

On a more positive note, and there's nothing like talking about gelatin shots to get me all dreamy, for today's celebration I bought some silicone heart molds and made three red/pink shots.

The first were Lolly Ranchers. I made them with watermelon gelatin, watermelon pucker, and vodka. Simple and tasty. They have that tart/sweet taste of a jolly rancher

The second shots were Shots through the heart (and you're to blame). These were three layered shots. The top and bottom layers were strawberry gelatin and vanilla vodka. To make the in between layer I added condensed milk which turns the red to a nice contrasting pink. I topped them off with chocolate sprinkles (also known as shots in some part of the country- have to look that up)

The third concoctions were Shot de Cacao Coeur. I wanted to create a sweet chocolate sensation that most people think of when it comes to Valentines day. I made a two layered shot with the first layer being cherry gelatin with vodka and creme de Cacao. I should have added some condensed milk to create a color variation. The top layer was cherry gelatin with Godiva Liquor. Not only did it have a rich chocolate taste, it gave the gelatin a sultry dark red color. These are definitely my favorite. As you bite into them the chocolate taste melts nicely with the cherry flavor. If I can brach out, I love to learn how to make edible chocolate heart shaped shells. That would be inebriate decadence.

I hope you enjoyed both the written and pixelated descriptions. Contact me if you'd like to try the actual shots. Do not attempt to lick the screen.

Wrong team, right shot

Hello all,

This year I was a little behind on the Superbowl fad. To be honest I've never really followed one since Superbowl XX when the Chicago Bears were at the sensational peak. Jim McMahon and his cocky quaterbacking aligned with Peytons running and the Fridges.... well whatever Refrigerator Perry did made for a sensational season. Plus they made a rap. A rap!!. I still have the Superbowl Shuffle on original LP. I need to check ebay and see if its worth anything. Or not.

But this year's football fad was uber beyond me. Until I decided it was a perfect opportunity to make more gelatin shots. I looked up the teams, and the Cardinals playing the Steelers, OK, Cardinals muy facil. Red. I went with a strawberry margarita shot. The Steelers were going to be a three layered, cola and grape jello with a lemon/yogurt layer sandwiched between.

However due to time constraints, I could only make one of the two kinds of shots. Why not make it like a bet and make the team I thought most likely to win. As you can see I bet wrongly.

For fun shape I used the jello football helmets and footballs molds. The shots came out winners in taste and fun, but the team....not so much.