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An Open Cookbook

An Open Cookbook

3.14.2012

Minty Champagne Shooters


It is recipe swap time again. As you can see, it is Wednesday, not the usual day of the swap. We have divided our group in two. Half are still posting the first Sunday of the month, and the other half of us are posting on the second Wednesday of the month...so here we are! Christianna of Burwell General Store has given us an assignment of 'Orange Snowflake Salad' as pictured below.

While it does sound like a pretty interesting experiment, I just couldn't bring myself to buy Jell-O with the bright orange food coloring and cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is on the top of my 'unconsumed food list'. There are a few food items that give me twitches even thinking about, cottage cheese and any seafood are two of them. 

So this week I strapped on the thinking cap to figure out a plan. I knew from the start there is a partially consumed bottle of champagne in the fridge and wanted to somehow incorporate it into the recipe. Jell-O shots were a natural direction to take. But how would I get around the artificially flavored and colored Jell-O? 

A little research proved very educational. I could simply buy unflavored gelatin and use fruit juice to sweeten the shots. A clear-ish juice would be ideal. So maintaining the pineapple component of the recipe, pineapple juice and pineapple chunks would appear. There needed to be a refreshing aspect as well. Mint would do.


So I gathered all the necessary suspects at the grocery and trekked home with a full backpack. And what a trip down memory lane this recipe provoked. The powdery scent of warm liquid stirred into gelatin brought back childhood memories. I was immediately transported to the kitchen table, helping my mom stir the hot water into the bright green Jell-O. Jell-O was such a fun treat as a kid. Watching the liquid turn into a gel was magical. The worse part about it was waiting for it to set. I remember wondering how I would get through the hour(s) it took to set. Barbies, Scooby Doo, bike-riding, and mini trampoline jumping were mild distractions. Somehow I got through. Speaking of which, I need to go check on the flutes...a taste test is probably in order.






Minty Champagne Shooters
Makes 4 champagne flutes

You can take creative liberties regarding the fruit juice and alcohol flavors. Mangoes and mango juice  with fresh basil would be quite nice. Or berries and mint would be refreshing. Whatever you choose will make you happy as you scoop it from the glass.

1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup cold champagne (or sparkling wine)
2 envelopes Knox Unflavored Gelatin
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons pineapple chunks (canned or fresh)
10 mint leaves, finely minced

Heat pineapple juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Take off heat. Pour cold champagne into a medium bowl. Stir gelatin into champagne and let sit for 1 minute. Pour hot pineapple juice over champagne mixture. Stir in honey. Continuously stir until gelatin is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle mint leaves into champagne mixture. Pour into 4 champagne flutes. Stir 1 tablespoon pineapple chunks into each flute. Refrigerate until solid, 1 to 2 hours.




10 comments:

Unknown said...

I considered doing champagne shooters too. Such a great idea, and they turned out super pretty!

Sabrina Modelle said...

Mmm this is just lovely. What an elegant way to interpret that wild recipe.

Mikaela Cowles said...

So fun! And just in time for the holiday. I love me some green on St. Pattys.

Barbara | Creative Culinary said...

The one thing that seems to have bound all of us is seeing that recipe and pretty much going, 'Ewww.'

I'm loving, as usual, the creative minds that bring such uniqueness to this challenge, and you know...anything cocktailish is right up my alley! Very nice.

The Cozy Herbivore said...

What a great idea! I make Jello shots every year (both the traditional and vegetarian versions) for our Halloween party. This looks like a much classier version of my Jello shots-- I think the champagne is such a lovely touch!

Unknown said...

What a delicious drink (or dessert?). I would love to have some!

Toni @ Boulder Locavore said...

You know I too would have difficulty eating or making jello at this stage of my food life. When I read your unique twist it did make me think had this been my swap recipe maybe a go at Jello Shots would have been fun!

Jamie said...

Cottage cheese is on my DO NOT EAT list also! I love your interpretation of this recipe - your drinks look like they'd be delicious!

Alex said...

I love anything with champagne! I totally remember stirring the gelatin and hot water also...great memories!

My McDonald Meal said...

Oh- it makes me smile to know that more folks feel the way I do about Jello! :)