Care to eat a cocktail?? No, I haven’t gone mad nor have I lost grasp of the basic tenets of English grammar!!! I meant exactly what I penned down, rather typed down. If you don’t know what I am talking about, then it is high time you discovered the jellied cocktails or alcohol laced jelly shots!!! Ever had one of these solid cocktail?? They have been making quite a few rounds at parties nowadays and this being the party season of the year, it is no wonder that the cocktails you can eat rather than drink have become very popular!!

What are these "cocktails you can eat" all about?

They can be found everywhere. From hip parties to pubs and nightclubs the cocktails that can be eaten are all the rage! Don’t assume that these are those Jell-O shots that used to come in little plastic cups which were basically made from jello and vodka. The jellied cocktails I am talking about are much better than the jell-o shots both in terms of content and the grandeur of presentation.

The jellied alcohol shots come in all colors, shapes, sizes and have a variety of alcoholic constituents. From pyramid shaped Blueberry Martini shots to square sized jellied Manhattan with a cherry suspended in it, these alcoholic semisolid jellied shots are irresistibly elegant and packs in quiet a kick!!! It is just that when they are served as solid, deceptively sweet cocktails which you can pick up with your fingers and gobble down, you sorta tend to forget that each piece tends to have at least close to 30 ml of alcohol.

Make the cocktails you can eat at home!

Yes! You can make them at home too! Just take the same care you would to make your regular cocktails and allow your creativity to rule. You can use gelatine, agar agar, China grass or any other gelling agent including the contents of readymade jelly packets. Instead of using water, substitute part or all of it with alcohol or the cocktail you intent to serve. You can add fruits to the jelly mix or even an orange peel! Just ensure that you get the cocktail mix right and the flavors go well together.  When you mix the cocktails use one-half to three-quarters of a sheet of gelatin for every ounce of liquid. In case you are using gelatin powder, a quarter-ounce packet is the equal to four sheets of gelatin. When you are using strong drinks like martinis, you can make the cocktail pieces smaller or you can dilute the alcohol with simple syrup.

Pour the cocktail mixture into your moulds and refrigerate them overnight. You can use moulds of any shape and size. Pyramids, domes and even towers are a few of the mould shapes that come handy. You can try and get your hands on containers called EZ-Squeeze that is available at Pittsburgh which are perfect for making these jellied shots. The jelly shots can be easily squeezed out of the moulds and the moulds are strong enough to withstand the pressure. You can also set them in a large container, freeze them and then slice them into small cubes. Another option is to simply use your ice trays or even shot glasses. Ensure that you remove the jelly shots from the refrigerator and leave them at room temperature for a few hours or dip the moulds or tray in hot water before serving so that the shot will easily slide out.

Serve them simply on a decorative silver, glass or mirror tray, altrernated with candies, plated with gold leaf or even dusted with some ice sugar. In UK the Rococo Chocolates create chocolate shot cups from which, one can drink the shot and then eat the cup too!!! It’s a brilliant idea and if you can make similar shot cups at home by using the back of your ice trays and then serve your jelly shots in them, then there is nothing like it! You can also find them at www.iwantoneofthose.com..

I tried making an alcoholic jelly shot from red wine with raspberry in it and it was delicious and needless to say quiet inebriating! What more can you expect after having five pieces in one go, but I am loving it. Care to eat a cocktail?

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ireallylikefood.com