Birthday Cake Jello Shots

The BF had a BIG birthday recently. And no BIG birthday is complete with out a cake. And no cake is complete without jello shots to match, right?

The BF's sister-in-law is a professional cake baker/decorator/genius and she pinned the recipe to these little darlings a few weeks ago.

I am grateful to the people out there who have made it their business to not only perfect the jello shot, but make creative and innovative alcoholic treats for their friends and family to enjoy that don't resemble the jello shots of our college days (Dixie bathroom cups, anyone?).

The blog Jelly Shot Test Kitchen is especially impressive. Their jello creations are mini works of art that can be swallowed in one delicious bite. My favorites include the Blow Pop Martini and the Rainbow Jelly Shooter.

However, my favorite section of this blog is the Tips section.

The most useful include:

• Add an extra half to full envelope of gelatin to increase staying power
• Chill serving platters
• Prep molds with a light coat of cooking spay to ensure jello can slide out easily

Back to the birthday cake jello shots... there are two versions of the recipe and I made my own simplified version.

• Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: So They Say It's My Birthday
• Sweet Tooth: Birthday Cake Jello Shots

Both recipes call for plain gelatin, but I like to cut corners (and costs) and used basic "blue" box jello flavor. I also skipped the fancy (i.e. fruit cocktail) additions and simply added water.

My version:

• 2 boxes of blue jello
  
• 2 cups of hot water
• 2 cups of cold water
• 9 oz. Cupcake Vodka (frosting flavor)
• 1 tub of fat free cool whip
• rainbow sprinkles

Now, here is where I made my mistake. In the spirit of keeping the price low, I used my cupcake pan instead of buying a mini-cupcake pan or a mold.

The jello shots were large and hard to manage once taken off the tray. In fact, many fell apart and made a sticky blue mess on the counter, kitchen floor, white carpet...

I would suggest using a mini-cupcake pan or a mold that would produce a jello shot that could easily held with fingers. My cupcake shots were easily the size of my palm.


Cute, messy and delicious. The birthday cake jello shots were definitely a crowd pleaser, even if they left everyone with sticky fingers.