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This Japanese-inspired post is in honor of the Austin Bakes for Japan charity event on April 2nd. I’ll be selling gelatin molds at the Nomad Bar from noon to 2:00. All money will go to AmeriCares relief efforts in Japan.
For this gelatin mold, I used plum wine (a traditional Japanese favorite), Cava (a not-so-sweet Spanish sparkling wine), elderflower syrup (an affordable substitute for the fantastic St. Germain), and blueberries. The plum wine and elderflower syrup added a fruit and floral sweetness to the bubbly Cava. The gelatinous result was really foamy, see all the bubbles? The sweet and boozy carbonation in solid form created a surprisingly odd yet fun tactual experience – I could feel the tasty bubbles popping in my mouth.
Recipe for 3.5 Cups
- 2 packets Knox gelatin
- ½ cup water (for blooming)
- ½ cup water
- 1 ¾ cups Cava (or other sparkling wine)
- ½ cup plum wine
- ¼ cup Elderflower Syrup (or St. Germain)
- ½ cup blueberries (or other berry of choice)
Put ½ cup of cold water in a medium bowl and sprinkle 2 packets of gelatin on top of the water. Set bowl aside.
Put rest of water over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Remove from heat add hot water to the bloomed gelatin. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir in Cava, plum wine, and elderflower syrup.
Put mixture in refrigerator (or freezer) until thickened to a soft gel consistency. It should be easy to stir but thick enough to hold the blueberries. Stir in blueberries and spoon mixture into mold(s). Put in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours.
This creation is the latest installment in my series of herb-infused boozy gelatin molds. The unique fusion of rosemary, limes, blueberries, club soda, and gin proves irresistible as a cocktail; and even yummier in gelatinous form. I adore the delightfully sweet and sour combination of berries, citrus, herbs, and booze.
Recipe for 3.5 cups
- 2 packets Knox gelatin
- ½ cup water (for blooming)
- ¾ water (for syrup)
- ½ cup sugar (or to taste)
- Juice of one lime (approx. ¼ cup) with zest reserved
- ½ cup 100% blueberry juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- ¾ cup gin
- ½ cup club soda
- ½ cup blueberries
Put ½ cup of water in a small bowl and sprinkle the 2 packets of gelatin on top of the water. Set bowl aside.
Put water, blueberry juice, sugar, and lime juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add lime zest and rosemary leaves. Let stew for 10-minutes. Strain the lime/rosemary syrup, and return to saucepan. Bring to boil, remove from heat, and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir in cold gin and club soda.
Put mixture in refrigerator (or freezer) until thickened to a soft gel consistency. It should be easy to stir but thick enough to suspend the blueberries. Stir in berries and spoon mixture into mold(s). Put in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours.
See this mold featured on Relish Austin, Addie Broyles food blog on austin360.com.
Flavored simple syrups, like the ones described in this article by Addie Broyles in the Austin American Statesmen, are the key to creating complex and unique gelatin molds from scratch. Here I combined homemade basil simple syrup, 100% blueberry juice, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, water, club soda, and vodka. The resulting taste was like summer in gelatinous form – tart, sweet, and herbalicious.
Recipe for 3.5 cup mold
- 2 packets gelatin
- ½ cup water (for blooming*)
- ¾ water (for syrup)
- ½ cup sugar (or to taste)
- Juice of one lemon (approx. ¼ cup) with zest reserved
- ½ cup 100% blueberry juice
- 6 large basil leaves
- ¾ cup vodka
- ½ cup club soda
- ½ cup blueberries
Put ½ cup of water in a small bowl and sprinkle the 2 packets of gelatin on top of the water. Set bowl aside. (*This is called “blooming.” Blooming allows gelatin to absorb water and thus dissolve easily when added to hot water.)
Put water, blueberry juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add lemon zest and basil leaves. Let stew for 10-minutes. Strain the lemon/basil syrup, and return to saucepan. Bring to boil, remove from heat, and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir in cold vodka and club soda.
Put mixture in refrigerator (or freezer) until thickened to a soft gel consistency. It should be easy to stir but thick enough to suspend the blueberries. Stir in berries and spoon mixture into mold(s). Put in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours.
My lovely friends enjoyed this tart and boozy mold.
The mojito is one of my favorite summer drinks. Sweet, sour, minty, and bubbly. Here I suspended strawberries and mint leaves for visual interest, and added blueberries to create a patriotic theme for 4th of July.
Making cocktail-based molds from scratch is a challenge! I finally decided to steep lime zest and mint leaves in a hot lime syrup (water, limes, sugar). The lime/mint combination tasted great, but I was heavy handed on the rum. Even my alcohol loving friends admitted it was strong. A bit more practice and I’ll hopefully unlock the secret to cocktail-based gelatin molds.
The classic drink that inspired this mold is a favorite of my friend Bindiya. Made to commemorate Bindiya leaving Austin for the summer, it took several trials (and a lot of gin!) to create a mold I was happy with. Unfortunately, she left before I ultimately created the mold seen here.
To make this mold, I adapted a Nigella Lawson recipe published in the New York Times. (I was not happy with the recipe results, so I changed ingredient proportions). The resulting taste was perky (thanks to the lemon juice and stewed lemon zest), sweet, and slightly effervescent – perfect for the blistering Austin summer.
Per Bindiya’s request, I used lemons instead of limes. Blueberries were added because I love the fantastic merging of blueberries and lemons.
If you’re a foodie geek like me, you may enjoy learning the history of the gin and tonic.
This mold may not be the prettiest I’ve made, but it was definitely the tastiest. Inspired by this mold, my ingredients included 100% pomegranate juice, vodka, sugar, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I worried the combination would demonstrate too tart, but the sugar and berries nicely balanced the pomegranate and vodka.
Recipe for 3.5-cup mold
- 2 cups 100% pomegranate juice (If using a juice blend or one with added sugar, you may want to reduce sugar in the recipe)
- 1-cup sugar (or to taste)
- 2 packets gelatin
- ¾ cup cold water
- ¾ cup cold vodka
- 1 1/2-cup berries of choice (thoroughly washed and dried)
Put pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add gelatin. Stir until gelatin is fully dissolved (approx. 2 minutes). Transfer liquid to a bowl and stir in the cold water and vodka.
Put mixture in refrigerator (or freezer) until thickened to a soft gel consistency. It should be easy to stir but thick enough to suspend the berries. Stir in berries, and spoon mixture into mold. Put in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours.
The Cooking Channel blog, Devour, featured this mold. So exciting!
Inspired by my love of blueberries, this creamy gelatin consists of 100% blueberry juice, vodka, sugar, and blueberries on top; sweetened condensed milk and blueberry juice on bottom. The intense dark blue of the top layer is naturally lovely – and delicious. I used a set of small vintage molds found at an Austin antique mall. Finding vintage molds is just as fun as making the gelatin itself!
Recipe for 6-cups
Top layer
- 2 cups 100% blueberry juice (100% blueberry juice is expensive but worth it – blueberry blends don’t result in the same flavor or intense dark blue color)
- ½ cup sugar (or to taste)
- 2 packets gelatin
- ¾ cup cold water
- ¾ cup cold vodka
- 1 cup blueberries (thoroughly washed and dried)
Bottom layer
- One 14oz can sweetened condensed milk (cold)
- 1 ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup blueberry juice (optional – gives the bottom a light blue/purple color. Use 2-cups water for a white bottom layer)
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- 2 packets gelatin
Top layer: Put blueberry juice and sugar in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add gelatin. Stir until gelatin is fully dissolved (approx. 2 minutes). Transfer liquid to a bowl and stir in cold water and vodka. Put bowl in refrigerator.
Bottom layer: Bring water and blueberry juice to a boil and remove from heat. Add vanilla (if using) and gelatin, stir until fully dissolved. Transfer liquid to a bowl and stir in sweetened condensed milk. Put bowl in refrigerator.
Once the blueberry gelatin has thickened to a soft gel consistency (it should be easy to stir but thick enough to suspend the berries), stir in berries, and spoon mixture into mold(s). Put in refrigerator until almost set – some gelatin should stick to your fingers when lightly touched. When the blueberry layer is almost set, spoon the creamy layer into the mold(s).
Put in refrigerator until set, at least 4 hours.
The Modern Gelatina 