Hump Day Happy Hour

Remember Jell-O shots from your days (and nights) at college? They're all grown up, and are sporting a sophisticated new look! Chef and author Michelle Palm's grown-up jellies are refined and reinvented, like this "Blackberry Cosmo Jelly Shot" made with flavored brandy and Cointreau. Her book, The Jelly Shot Test Kitchen, includes over 60 recipes of classic cocktails translated into stylish bites of gelatin. Surprise guests at your next dinner party with these gourmet shots for some tasty nostalgia.

Blackberry Cosmo Jelly Shots

Ingredients:

1 cup white cranberry juice cocktail

3/4 cup blackberry brandy

1/8 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed and strained

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup Cointreau

2 envelopes Knox Gelatin (if using molds, then add 1/2 envelope additional gelatin.  1/2 envelope equals about a teaspoon of gelatin powder.) 

1 drop purple food coloring (optional; McCormick Neon Colors set)

Lime zest for garnish

Directions:

Pour cranberry and lime juices into a saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak for a few minutes. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the liquors and, if using, the food coloring until the consistency is uniform. Pour into standard loaf pan (about 8" x 4") or molds, and chill until set (several hours or overnight). To serve, cut into squares. Garnish with lime zest if desired.  Makes 18 to 24 shots.