Federman - Jiggle shots: 75 recipes to get the party started

Fun Facts

Bananas, peaches, and apples float in Jell-O. Grapes sink.

The original Jell-O flavors are orange, strawberry, raspberry, and lemon.

Jell-O is Utahs official state snack food.

Altogether there have been 36 flavors of Jell-O released. The following flavors were tried and abandoned: cola, coffee, chocolate, celery, tomato, and Italian Salad.

Whoever came up with the slogan Theres Always Room for Jell-O likely wasnt picturing the 7,700-gallon display, which secured a place in the Guinness World Records for two adventurous Australians in February 1981.

Natural Desserts offers a gluten-free, vegan version of Jell-O, and the brand doesnt use artificial flavors or colors.

Lucille Ball, Bill Cosby, and Jack Benny have all been Jell-O spokespeople.

In October 2006, Damien Fletcher of the United Kingdom took the expression chop chop to a new level by using chopsticks to transfer 6.34 ounces of Jell-O from the plate down his throat in a single minute.

There was once a National Serve Vegetables in Jell-O Week. Recommendations included radishes and cucumber in lime Jell-O and carrots and cabbage in lemon.

In 1993 in Batavia, New York, some curious medical folks hooked an EEG (electroencephalograph) up to Jell-O and found the wavelengths imitate those of the human brain.

Youll find a note on the side of Jell-O boxes about what not to add. An enzyme called bromelain found in fresh or frozen pineapple prevents Jell-O from solidifying. Besides pineapple, stay away from kiwi, ginger root, papaya, figs, and guava.

The Gowanus Studio Space in Brooklyn, New York, holds an annual Jell-O Mold Competition. The 2010 winners piece was entitled Aspic AscensionTastes Like Heaven and featured molds of the Virgin Mary made of Bloody Mary Jell-O.

There is a Jell-O Gallery in Le Roy, New York, the birthplace of the confection. Its open year-round.

Editor: Lindley Boegehold
Designer: Laura Crescenti
Cover Photo: Elise Sheppard
Photographer: Carrie Jordan
Production Manager: Alison Gervais

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Federman, Rachel.
Jiggle shots : 75 recipes to get the party started /
Rachel Federman.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8109-9885-8 (alk. paper)
1. Gelatin shots. 2. Cocktails. I. Title.
TX814.5.G4F43 2011
641.8642--dc22

2010044000

ISBN 978-0-8109-9885-8

Copyright 2011 Abrams

Published in 2011 by Abrams Image, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, with-out written permission from the publisher.

Products and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a TM trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Jell-O is the registered trademark of Kraft Foods, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this book. The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis, without warranty.

The author and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. urge readers to use their discretion and good sense in making these jello shots and not do anything that seems ill-advised. Finally, responsible drinking is everyones personal responsibility.

Abrams Image books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialmarkets@abramsbooks.com or the address below.

www.abramsbooks.com

Introduction

What can simultaneously conjure up the innocence of summer days in suburbiawhere kids with names like Mary and Timmy come running across the lawn for an afternoon snackand a bunch of sweaty college kids cramming into dorm rooms, licking body shots off one anothers stomachs?

Jell-O shots! Theyre whimsical, bright, colorful, and slightly deviant. They put the jiggle into giggle juice, the punch into indulgence, the flavor into firewater. Their unreal neon flavors will stain your lips and make you forget that you are drinking a lot more than the Kool-Aid. And these vibrant treats are a rite of passage. Have you done Jell-O shots? you may hear partygoers ask each other on that most eagerly anticipated of young adult birthdays.

What does doing shots entail exactly?

Whatever you want it to. Pop them into your mouth, inject them, make temporary body art, experiment with different colors and layers. Pick your poison and your favorite Jell-O flavor and see how they taste together. Add whipped cream, fruit slices, or gumdrops. Make zippers for an outdoor party, for a new neighbor, for a girls night in, or guys night out. Try team colors for sports events. Concoct seasonal varieties for holidays. You can make an old-fashioned Jell-O mold for everyone to share, cut Jell-O into squares, sculpt with cookie cutters, or use plain old ice cube trays.

While youre mixing, pouring, and waiting for shots to set, youll be in good company. Long a Friday-night staple for the down-and-dirty college set, Jell-O shots have now established themselves as a legitimate cocktail. When Orthodox Jews serve Manischewitz shots at a Passover Seder, kids in Texas are suspended for selling Jell-O shots at school, and karaoke bars in Kabukicho, Tokyo, are lined with gelatin tequila balls, you can be sure the wiggly snacks have hit the big time.

Todays creations are just the latest in a history of invention that began when Pearle B. Wait transformed gelatin dessert by adding a fruit flavor in 1897. It was his wife who came up with the name and the world said hello to Jell-O for the first time. In the 1950s, raspberry floating islands, orange parfait pies, and bowls of tapioca took over the kitchen landscape with a decidedly space-age feel. At a time when dessert was practically a recommended food group, moms likely had no idea just how much fun their grandchildren would one day have with this perennially popular dessert.

Ready to get started? All you need is a few boxes of Jell-O powder, boiling water, and your favorite moonshine. Later, when the lights are low and the music high, therell be no need for guests to hover around the mixing table spilling ungodly amounts of high-end vodka. Want margaritas? Try lime and tequila dipped in salt. Something that doubles as dessert? Mix chocolate pudding with Baileys Irish Cream. A touch of sophistication? How about champagne glasses? Something to mark the beginning of summer vacation? Make portable little Mojitos with fresh mint.

Theyre fun to prepare and they sure go down easy. Try new flavors. Try new colors. Express yourself. Go wild. Be a kid again (except for the 80-proof beverage part, of course). Nothing says instant party like a tray full of wiggly multicolored little cocktails. Bottoms up. But not for long.

Getting Started