Watermelon Gelatin Shot

My cousin Cherise just moved to town, and Jeff and I had dinner with her on Wednesday.  On our way to her place we stopped to pick up an apartment warming gift, Pear Vodka.  While at the liquor store, we picked up watermelon vodka for ourselves because it was on sale.  For her dinner, Cherise ordered the Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad.  I decided to take my inspiration from that.  (The Watermelon, not the Goat Cheese) 

I’ve been wanting to experiment with a gelatin Shotible.  It proved to be more challenging than I had expected.  While at the grocery store, I was quite surprised to find that they no longer make plain watermelon gelatin, but instead a mixed melon, which is green.

Since green and red are on opposite ends of the color wheel, I didn’t want the gelatin to be translucent.  For the glass, I used the mixed melon gelatin and cheese cake instant pudding.  After a disappointing first try, I divided the gelatin/pudding mixture into two parts and added green food coloring to one half.  I poured the light half of the mixture into each mold, and then the dark half on top.  I swirled the two in each mold in an attempt to emulate a watermelon rind.

For the inside, I used plain gelatin, the watermelon vodka, red food coloring and some sweetened condensed milk to add opacity.  At Cherise’s suggestion, I topped each with chocolate jimmies. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Glass:

·         2-1/2 cups boiling water

·         4 pkgs (4-serving size) melon flavored gelatin

·         1 cup cold milk

·         1 pkg (4-serving size) cheesecake flavored instant pudding

·         Green food coloring

Filling:

·         1 pkg unflavored gelatin

·         1/2 cup boiling water

·         1/3 cup cold watermelon flavored vodka

·         3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

·         Red food coloring

Topping:

·         Chocolate jimmies

Directions:

Glass:

·         Mix boiling water with melon gelatin.  Stir until completely dissolved; about 3 minutes.

·         Stir in cold water. 

·         Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.

·         Mix cold milk and pudding mix. 

·         Stir pudding mixture into gelatin mixture.  Combine thoroughly. 

·         Divide into two.  Add green food coloring to one part and stir.

·         Spray both parts of ice shot glass molds with cooking spray. 

·         Fill each mold half way with the lighter colored mixture. 

·         Fill each mold the rest of the way with the darker mixture.

·         Swirl each gently; enough to create striations of color, but don’t blend thoroughly.

·         Insert top part of shot glass mold.

·         Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Filling:

·         Soak unflavored gelatin in water for about 5 minutes in a small sauce pan.

·         Stir on very low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved.   

·         Remove from heat.

·         Stir in vodka and sweetened condensed milk.

·         Add red food coloring until mixture is pink.

·         Remove top parts of the molds.

·         Pour the filling into gelatin glasses.

·         Refrigerate for about half an hour.

·         Top each with a few chocolate jimmies.

·         Continue to refrigerate until filling has solidified.