Cheers to Cinco de Mayo!

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that it is Cinco De Mayo? If you are like many, you think “I am going to have a margarita..or two!” I thought the same thing, only with a little bit of a twist. I turned my Margarita into a Jell-O shot! Interested in trying it out…here it is!

Margarita Jell-O Shots

1 package Margarita Jello-O

1 cup boiling water

1 cup tequila (I prefer silver, but it is your choice)

Pour the boiling water into a bowl with the package of Jell-O and stir until dissolved. Let sit for a minute; add the tequila and mix together. Pour Jell-O into your shot glasses and refrigerate until solid.

I ordered Margarita flavored Jell-O online as it is not a common flavor. If you have the time, order it, but if not you can also use lime or lemon Jell-O however that will change the flavor slightly. If you are going to use a basic flavor I suggest substituting 1/4 cup of the tequila with Cointreau; this will help it from just becoming an overpowered tequila and lime shot.

Serving Suggestions to help make it even more festive

– branch away from the standard shot glass/ salad dressing cup and opt for a mini margarita glass (available at most any party store, affordable and disposable)

– salt the rim (or half)… not everyone wants salt with their margarita, but for those who do rub a lime around the rim of the glass and dip in salt. If you want to make it more decorative just salt half.

Cheers!!

 

“Sippin’ on coke and rum…”

“Sippin’ on Coke and Rum, I’m like so what I’m Drunk; it’s the freakin’ weekend, baby I’m about to have me some fun” ~ R. Kelly, Ignition (Remix)

 

An easy and refreshing cocktail, a rum and coke is very much a go to drink for many. It requires little to no work, and can be made using almost any flavor of rum; personally I go for Malibu. This weekend I decided to make a rum and coke with a twist…that twist: turning it into a Jell-O shot.

Rum & Coke Jell-O Shots

1 package black cherry jello

1 cup coke (boiled)

1 cup rum

This is a little different because instead of using a cup of boiled water, you are actually going to boil the soda and add that to the jello. Stir until dissolved and let sit a minute before adding the rum. Mix together, pour into your shot glass and put in the fridge to solidify.

I wasn’t too sure about the black cherry when I initially started, but it actually enhances the taste of the coke, without making it have a strong cherry flavor. However, if you prefer the taste of cherry coke, you could use that instead of regular coke to enhance the cherry flavor. I recently had a drink of cherry coke and cherry rum….never would have thought of it, but it is delicious. So, if you want a rum and coke that is a little sweeter and has a stronger cherry flavor, try this shot with substituting the coke with cherry coke and use cherry rum.

I think one of the best things about this shot is that the possibilities seem endless. You can use plain rum, coconut (which is what I did for these), cherry rum, or even banana….

Mix it up and enjoy!

 

Cheers!!

Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day….including your jello-shot

“Coffee lovers will demand it” – James (quality control)

We have all heard the saying “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!” and now, you can say that everything is also Irish on St. Patrick’s day. You go into any bar on St. Patrick’s Day there is about a 99.9% chance you are getting served green beer. People who don’t even have a speck of Irish in them dress up in their green outfits and have the time of their life, because honestly, the Irish know how to party…We even know how to make your morning coffee that much better and with that being said, I give you the “Irish Coffee Jello-Shot”.

Now, I had a few non believers when I mentioned wanting to make an Irish Coffee jello shot, but here is the recipe to prove them wrong!

Irish Coffee Jello Shots

1 cup Coffee (chilled)

1/2 cup Irish Whiskey

1/2 cup Baileys

1 envelope of Knox gelatin

Put your coffee in a saucepan (the coffee should be cold, but do not use ice because we do not want to dilute the flavor) and sprinkle on the gelatin. Let this sit for a minute before turning on the heat and mixing until the gelatin is dissolved. Once dissolved add your liquor and mix again. Pour into your shot glasses of choice; here I chose to go with mini mugs to go along with the coffee theme. Put in the fridge until they solidify and enjoy!

One thing these shots need, and I did not do this time around, is some whipped cream on top. Not only does it make the shot look more desirable, but it adds to the flavor. You can use any whipped cream of your choice, although the overall thought for this would be “adult whipped cream” which also contains alcohol….feeling ambitious? Make your own whipped cream! (all it takes is some heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and if you want some vanilla flavored liquor- mix and enjoy!)

A fun and festive Jello- Shot that is sure to bring out the Irish in everyone!

Cheers!

What’s more American than Apple Pie?

With a day off to celebrate President’s Day, it also was a day to create an American Jell-O Shot for the holiday; what is more American than Apple Pie? Nothing! So, I decided to try my hand at making this favorite dessert into a delicious Jell-O shot, complete with the whipped cream topping…

This was a two-part shot so it takes a little bit more time than others.

Jell-O Shot:

1 cup apple juice

1 packet Knox gelatin

½ cup Vanilla Vodka

½ cup Green Apple Vodka

Whipped Cream Topping:

½ tub of cool whip

A splash (or 3) Vanilla Vodka

 

Pour the apple juice into a saucepan and add the Knox gelatin; let sit for a minute or two. Turn on the stove and heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add both the vanilla and green apple vodka. Pour into your shot glasses and refrigerate until solid. (HINT: putting them in the freezer helps speed up this process)

Once your shots have become Jell-O, you can create the whipped cream topping. Take your cool whip and add the vodka, not too much that it becomes more or a liquid, but enough to get the flavor; mix together. Add to the top of the Jell-O shots and freeze again until the cool whip has solidified.

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This shot was a trial by error type of Jell-O shot, and although it still was pretty good, I think there is a way to make this a lot better. After the first part was solidified I had my boyfriend (the official quality control) taste on with me. It wasn’t bad, but the apple flavor was lacking more than I would have liked. We concluded that this was probably because the apple juice was a little watered down and once the vodka was added it overtook the flavor of the juice. Next time, I think I need to try it with an apple cider or something more concentrated to really give that apple flavor….and, we may need to stick to just the apple vodka for the ‘pie’ portion and leave the vanilla just for the whipped cream.

We did however notice a difference once the whipped cream topping was added as it definitely enhanced the flavor of the overall shot.

The verdict, if this went to a party people would enjoy them, BUT I think that there is potential for these to be better and a little more flavorful… Keep your eyes posted for the next apple pie Jell-O shot recipe and so much more!

Cheers!