When thinking of Super Bowl foods strawberries don't usually make the cut. However... mix the strawberries with a little tequila and turn them into a margarita and you are getting closer! With our sunny Citrus Blush already mixed and in the pitcher we weren't really in need of another cocktail, but when I came across these cute little shots I couldn't resist putting them on my Super Bowl Extravaganza Table.
Hollowed out strawberries work as a vehicle for a Jell-0 concoction of strawberry gelatin, tequila and a touch of Grand Marnier. Garnished with cute little wedges of lime these little shots are absolutely adorable!
Strawberry season here in San Diego is a tad behind schedule and I had a bit of trouble finding those beautiful, plump and bright red berries, but we made do with the Farmer's Market offerings and found some that were good enough. Hollowing out the berry is a bit of a chore, and I pierced the bottom of the berry on more than one occasion. Note to self: If there is a hole of any size in the bottom of the berry the Jell-O will flow right through!
The gelatin is mixed with water, 4 oz of tequila and 2 oz of Grand Marnier. When mixing, the "potion" smelled just like a Strawberry Margarita! The next hurdle was to actually get the Jell-O into the hollowed out berries... not an easy feat. Luckily Liv came to the rescue! Suffering with a sinus infection the pharmacist had filled her antibiotics and given us a baby dropper to take the medicine dose. Being 11 years old, we laughed at the baby dropper and stuck it in the drawer. Remembering this little dropper at the last minute, we pulled it out, sucked up about a Tbs of the Jell-O and squirted it into the berry. Ideal!!
The berries were adorable on the table and garnered "Ooohs and Aaahh's" from the crowd, but upon tasting, most people could not taste anything but sweet Jell-O and the berry. None of the "Margarita" flavor seemed to make its way onto the taste buds. So while these little guys are visually perfect for the table, they didn't pack the punch I was hoping for.
The recipe and directions can be found on the Baker's Royale blog and I really think that with the proper tweaking they could pack more of a Margarita Punch. Definitely worth playing with for the visual impact that they made. Next time I would probably double (at least!) the tequila (reducing the same amount of water) and see what we can come up with. To be continued... (someday!)
Edited 2/10/11: Tamera, in the comment section below, suggests using all liquor in the gelatin mix, no water. My friend, Becky (of Becky's Football Stromboli) suggested the same thing
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OMG they are GORGEOUS! I am a lighweight so a few of these will give me a buzz. They are almost too pretty to eat, but I will in a heartbeat :)
ReplyDeleteHope Liv is feeling better :)
Buzz! And I mean that in every way!
ReplyDeleteThese look wonderful! What a beautiful way to present jello shots!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool. I am loving this idea.
ReplyDeleteSkip the water and use all liquor to mix jello. lol They look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIf you do that then it won't become a jello because the tequila wouldnt freeze
DeleteIt works perfectly with all alcohol. It doesnt have to freeze just set. I never use water when making jello shots.
DeleteWhat a fabulous idea! That is so creative and they look so amazing and I bet they taste excellent! I gotta try this at my next girls night :-)
ReplyDeleteThese are so pretty, and perfect for a bridal shower! It's certainly not strawberry season here, -12 below temp today, that's not the wind chill. I want some of your strawberries!
ReplyDeleteThose are so beautiful and the colors are just gorgeous. What a creative idea, love it! :)
ReplyDeleteNow THIS is stunning. They are so cute and beautiful and quite the culinary treat! My family enjoys jello shots. Something like this may end up at a family get together!
ReplyDeleteNow that is the cutest idea I think I have ever seen. So much better than a plastic little cup. I'm totally doing this, and I'll just make sure to follow your advice and give it a little more kick. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteHow adorable is that. I am glad the dropper worked.
ReplyDeleteOh that's an awesome idea!! Those strawberries are adorable. I would love to try these shots right about now... I need something to warm me up!
ReplyDeleteThese are just gorgeous. Talk about the patience of a saint to get the holes in the strawberries. I wonder if you could use one of those small contraptions that make a small hole in the top of cupcakes? Either that or it might be a shot for the strawberries and a shot for me.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Felice!!! I literally laughed out loud at that one!!!
ReplyDeleteOh I just love that idea! I am totally going to make this for my next party. So inventive, as always!
ReplyDeleteAWESOME!!!!!!!!! sooo making these...I am having a party just so I can make these!
ReplyDeleteThe strawberries are gorgeous! I can't wait for them to be in season again. Love that you filled them with jell-o shots!
ReplyDeleteLove these! What a fabulous way to serve a jello shot.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, Kim! These are so cute and oh, so appealing. I would have gobbled these up in no time and being a lightweight like you, I would have paid for it later, LOL! These are absolutely perfect!
ReplyDeleteSuper fun! And so much more sophisticated that what we did in college! :D
ReplyDeleteThose are so cute... major problem keeping the kids clear of the potent ones, though! ;-)
ReplyDeleteKim - Oooh, how fun and beautiful! I'm making chocolate-covered strawberries (ever so classic) this weekend, but this is giving me another idea for the strawberries. :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the idea of using the strawberry to hold the shot! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteOh, my!!! LOVE THESE!!! Will be making both alcoholic and non-a versions!!!Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThese are too cute! I love the idea of filling a strawberry with jell-o. Such a perfect treat!
ReplyDeletesuper cute! i wonder if soaking the berries in the mix for a bit would help the punch. hmm.... saving to www.cookmarked.com to experiment!
ReplyDeleteIt might be hard to find, but Jell-O also makes Margarita flavored jell-o. That might be something to try, either way, these are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome.
ReplyDeleteFabulously fun idea!!!!
ReplyDeleteSuper fun and cute idea:)Lovely photos...the color just pops! Hope you are having a nice week Kim :)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using a strawberry as a little cup. I might have to try doing this to make panna cotta bites.
ReplyDeleteThis is perfect!
ReplyDeleteLots of labor went into these but also lots of love :-) They look absolutely wonderful, Kim, and I'm sure they were a big hit! Hope your week was fab and this weekend will be no different!
ReplyDeleteHi Kim – I just wanted to let you know that I featured these adorable little jello shots in my Valentine’s Day Favorites post today… Here’s the link: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2011/02/my-favorite-valentines-day-recipes.html. Thanks for sharing them, they're just so creative! I look forward to trying them soon. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of these. They are pretty and functional...lol. Gotta make these soon!
ReplyDeleteSo not delightfully trashy like the little plastic cup versions from back in the day. I have to say that I elect you Chief Jello Shot maker based on the style you brought here!
ReplyDeleteJason
I love this idea, this is so much better than the plastic cups! And I am usually not much of a drinker but I'll admit I am a sucker for Margaritas... Looks SO good!
ReplyDeleteI think you just improved the strawberry! These are absolutely lovely. Beautiful photos too!
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I've never had a Jell-O shot. This might just change all that (taking the little update into consideration). Thanks!
ReplyDeletewow, the pics are gorgeous- I am new to Jell-o shots! gotta try out this one for sure!
ReplyDeleteToo cute!! I make jello shooter a bunch and I make stuffed strawberries a lot - never thought of one as the vehicle for the other - LOVE IT!
ReplyDeletegreat idea would be to put a little sugar around the rim of the strawberry like you would put salt on a glass
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea. I was thinking maybe sprinkling a bit of margaritta salt on top! Yum!
DeleteAnonymous... an excellent idea!! The recipe called for a rolling the rims in salt, but it was too salty for our taste. I love the sugar idea!!!
ReplyDeleteI just ran into this recipe, and it looks fantastic. To get it to pack more of a punch, maybe try soaked the strawberries before hand in a bit of Grand Marnier and Tequila? It might help pick up the flavors!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of soaking the berries in the Grand Marnier and Tequila!!! Excellent idea!!!
ReplyDeleteHello Kim, this did not make the strawberries soggy??
DeleteI never actually tried soaking them... I imagine it would make them soggy if we're left in there for a long length of time. I found them strong enough with just the jello filling!
DeleteYou inspire many including me. I really like your blog so much that I featured your idea on my blog. Check it out !http://www.frostyourparty.com/2011/07/strawberry-party-treat-ideas.html
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
~Rebecca
What a cute idea. I love the little lime at the top. Too bad it's not very summer-y anymore. Oh well, next year!
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing! I've never seen anything like this and I can't wait to make these-they're super cute and fun for parties. I blogged about this on http://www.mexicoculture.org and I hope you'll check it out! Find me on @mexiculture where I share all kinds of cool Mexican culture news.
ReplyDeleteThese are so adorable! I was thinking about the problem with the hole in the bottom that you mentioned and wondering if you might be able to dip the end in Chocolate to cover any holes.
ReplyDeleteTo solve the problem of tasting too much like the jello & berry & not enough margarita, you could try omitting the flavored gelatin. Instead substitute it with clear/flavorless gelatin added to your tequila & lime. once added to the strawberry might make a great combo!
ReplyDeleteHarmony, an excellent idea!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo excited to try this! I think I will try lime jell-0...or lemon? Wish I knew how to get my hands on the margarita jell-o that was mentioned! Could be fun to experimnet with a kiwi too!
ReplyDeleteJanae... let me know how they turn out!! Love the kiwi idea...!
ReplyDeleteMaybe try lime jello inside next time for more of a margarita taste. And add more alcohol and less water to the mix. When I make jello shots, which is quite often if I'm being honest :), I add the hot water and then alcohol for the cold water
ReplyDeleteWonder if you used lime jello instead if it would give you a more margarita taste? Now, do you actually put them in fridge to get the gelatin texture?
ReplyDeleteDana... I think the Lime Jell-O might be a great idea! Would look kind of neat too. However, next time I make these I'm going to use that Margarita Mixture that I made for the cubes that we linked to above. Talk about tasty!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I do put them into the fridge to firm up! Enjoy!
How many hours do they need to firm in fridge. It's been too long since I've made jello shots or jello at all. :)
ReplyDeleteThese shots firmed up fairly quickly... But I'd plan on a couple of hours just to be safe!
ReplyDeleteHow about soaking the strawberries in the tequila first?
ReplyDeleteHow about soaking just the tops of the strawberries in Tequilla over night? give it a little kick???
ReplyDeleteMy best friend just sent me a link to this, they look fantastic. I am having a football party next week with a black and red theme so these will look fantastic next to my Black Russian Jelly Shots. Can't wait to taste them.
ReplyDeleteHow many days in advance could I make these?
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to how you stored them for the jello to set up. They would all need to be 'standing up' as not to spill while in liquid form.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't make these guys too far in advance... the strawberries start to get "mushy" after a day or so. The day before should be fine!
ReplyDeleteAs for having them stand up, we cut a little bit of the bottom off of the berry so it was flat, then filled them that way.
What about using an ice cube tray to hold berries upright? That might work...
DeleteWhat if we use an ice cube tray to hold the berries upright? maybe that would work...
DeleteLol... if you can't taste the liquor, then you have a great Jello shot, because those are supposed to sneak up on you! ;)
ReplyDeleteI chose a horrible time to be pregnant, because these look AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
Try putting then in an egg carton to keep them standing until they firm up, I haven't tried that yet but when I do that's what I think I will do or maybe ice trays?
ReplyDeleteIf you put too much liquor in jello shots they wont set. I find the most liquor to alcohol ratio is half and half. Follow the direction for the jello and replace the cup of cold water with the alcohol.
ReplyDeleteI love to drink but really dnt care for jello shots but strawberries tht sounds gud can't wait to try it
ReplyDeleteHad an idea for keeping the strawberries upright. Ice cube trays!
ReplyDeleteHow cute AND gorgeous! Great idea!
ReplyDeletemake sure to wait until the mixture is room temperature before adding the alcohol, otherwise the alcohol will cook out! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to use a turkey baster to put the liquid in the strawberries.
ReplyDeleteThats what I was thinking
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to use a small muffin pan to hold the strawberries.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure a turkey baster would work too
ReplyDeleteA little sea salt around the top edges with a small dalop of whipped cream on top...
ReplyDeleteA little course sea salt around the edges of the top w/a small dalop of whipped cream to top it off...
ReplyDeleteA little sea salt around the top edges with a small dalop of whipped cream on top...
ReplyDeletenice! would love to try that one!
ReplyDeleteI'm really disappointed in this recipe. It calls for 3 total cups of liquid when the jello only calls for 2. I had sooo much jello mixture left over and nothing to put it in. What a waste of alcohol! Also, the consistency was not firm enough. Very upset.
ReplyDeleteHow do you keep the strawberries upright while waiting for the jello to harden? Muffin tin?
ReplyDeleteI would make these using vodka (don't like tequila) but then set the jello up shots up on their own and spoon into the berries. That way, it doesn't matter if you have a small hole in the bottom and it's easier to fill. Also, don't have to worry about the strawberries falling over and losing your delicious alcoholic concoction Top with a little whipped cream!
ReplyDeleteAll fabulous ideas Deanna! Love the whip cream!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea,being a bartender for many years and making a ton of Jello shots,I would use less of the water and use more of the alcohol for mixing the jello. Use alittle sea salt on the rim of the strawberry.I think the whip cream would be nice too
ReplyDeletewonderful I'll do them
ReplyDeleteI made these for my friends fiesta party: GREAT SUCCESS! Everyone loved them.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I'd change/recommend:
1) BE CAREFUL when slicing the bottoms. Go slow. It's worth the time. I ended up messing up about 8 berries.
a) To salvage them, I filled them with leftover solid jello shot mix. And then poured in some liquid jello shot mix. This somewhat worked out well.
b) Next time I do this I probably won't take the bottoms off until AFTER the jello is frozen in the berry. To make them 'stand up' while freezing, use egg cartons and cupcake trays. I was able to fit 2-3 berries in each cupcake hole.
2) I used an itty bitty knife to core out the berries. It took a while, but went faster once I got a good method going.
3) I added more tequila to my jello shot recipe (my friends are strong drinkers!). I also didn't use this recipe. I used cheap tequila, cheap orange triple sec, and strawberry jello. It turned out great. You don't need it to be expensive, the berries will mask the flavor anyways.
4) Use sugar, not salt for rimming.
5) I was short on time and had to freeze the berries. Which got the job done, but when I went to the party we all had to wait till they thawed out!
Overall: time consuming, a lot of work, but very cute results! Would make this again now that I've done it once.
You can always try siaking the berries in straight tequila before you fillvthem with the Jello concoction- that should give it the zip it needs especially if you increase the boose to Jello ratio. I double strength the Jello so it sets well!
ReplyDelete