classy jello.

Last night, we had a classy jello party. Oxymoron? No way.

The challenge was to make alcoholic jello that didn't belong at a frat party. So I turned to Martha Stewart. (Naturally.) And she didn't disappoint: her "Dessert Wine Gelees" were fantastic. I used moscado instead of mixing Sauternes and orange muscat and cut back a bit on the sugar. They were so refreshing that I would make them again for a summer party or picnic.

Other jello experiments were similarly delicious:

sambuca and grapefruit peel, by M.

masterful jello rendering of the Slough of Despond, by D.

strawberry jello with tequila and sour worms, by J. and C.

The menu was rounded out with a mushroom-leek galette, mojito popsicles, and gin-soaked fruit salad. Yum! I also made a cake. More on that in its own post.



White Wine and Citrus Jello Cubes
Adapted from Martha Stewart Weddings

5 tbsp. cold water
3 tbsp. unflavored gelatin (about 3 1/2 packages)
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
2 1/4 c. moscado wine (*any sweet white would probably work)
2 grapefruits, 2 oranges, 2 tangerines (*or another combination)

1. Combine the 5 tbsp. cold water with gelatin in a small bowl. Let stand 5 mins.

2. Combine sugar, 1/2 c. water, and wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sugar has dissolved, whisking occasionally. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until melted. Cook 1 min. Remove from heat and pour through a fine sieve into a 9 x 13" glass baking dish. (*I forgot the sieve, but it didn't seem to matter.)

3. Cut peel and pith from the citrus. With a sharp knife, cut each segment from the membranes and then cut them into thin slices, around 1/8" thick. (*This part was a bit of a sticky mess, but the side benefit was that I ended up with a good-sized glass of juice when I squeezed all of the leftover membranes. Yum!)


4. Arrange the citrus in the baking dish, making sure it's in a single layer and evenly distributed.


5. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

6. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the dish. Using an offset spatula, gently loosen the sides of the jello. Invert onto a large cutting board. (*If yours doesn't release right away, as mine didn't, try placing a hot towel over the inverted pan for 30 seconds, which should loosen the jello.) Trim the edges and cut into cubes. (*I'll admit that I used a ruler for this!) Refrigerate, uncovered, for up to a day.