Day 12 - Shot glass desserts

So I found the best work out....my nephew. I decided I would walk and pick him up from the babysitters today rather than someone driving over to get him. I knew he would love the walk, and this would change up my daily walk and make it a little more exciting. So after getting him here and sitting outside for a bit, I fed him and my mom took him from there. After dinner I took him out of his seat and began to clean his puffs off of him, to make it a little more fun I was throwing him in the air to shake them off. Bad idea. He loved it, the squeals and laughs coming out of him were hilarious. When I stopped he would bounce in my arms till I started again. I was sure my arms were gonna fall off afterwards. But I think it was the best workout I ever had.

Well today is shot glass desserts, I am happy I finally have a complicated recipe to show people. I love little desserts like this, because when people come over for dinner I can throw a bunch of different things in the middle and let people decide on what they want. You can make so many different desserts with the new little glasses they have out for dinner parties. I decided to make 2 different ones, a super easy and a medium difficulty, to give people ideas of what they can do. I have done chocolate mousse shooters, and jello martinis. Now you can also do no-cook cheese cakes, fruit salads, ice cream, etc. Just look up shot glass desserts and you will find all different recipes.

So I will do the jello martinis first, as they are very simple. Now my directions are based on my little glass, alter as you wish.




Jello Martinis

Rim the outside of the glass using lemon juice and sugar. Place a cocktail cherry at the bottom of each glass (the cherries with the long stem, can be bought at any bulk food store). Mix jello as per directions on the box without letting it set. Use a small gravy ladle or spoon to fill the prepared glasses with liquid jello. Let set in fridge.

An easy way to rim just the outside of a glass is to use a tissue or paper towel wet with lemon juice. Go around just the outside of the top of the glass.

If you use a lighter colour jello, such as blue or green, you will see the cherry just like a real martini.

Let the jello set in the fridge.

Tips:

The reason for only rimming the outside is because the jello may soak into any sugar it touches, and may ruin the rimming. This idea can be modified anyway you wish, put in bigger glasses, lemon twist, different fruit at the bottom or on the side of glass. You can layer different colour jellos by letting them set in between layers, or even add alcohol for an adult party.

Now on to the Chocolate Mousse shooters. This recipe is Julia Child`s, she is my inspiration. I have tried a few of her recipes and they are always amazing, she could make anything she wanted, from baking to meals.

Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse

From The Way to Cook by Julia Child"

1 cup semisweet baking chocolate

4 tablespoons strong coffee

6 ounces soft unsalted butter ( 1 1/2 sticks)

4 egg yolks

¼ cup rum or ¼ cup strong coffee

4 egg whites ¾ cup instant superfine sugar

2 tablespoons instant superfine sugar

whipped cream (optional)

Place the chocolate and 4 Tbsp strong coffee in a small sauce pan and place in a pan of hot water. Stir for a minute or so until melting begins. You will add butter before adding to other mixture.

Place egg yolks in a bowl and beat, adding the sugar in a thin stream. Continue beating until the mixture is thick, pale and forms a ribbon. Beat in the rum. Set over a pan of almost simmering water and beat for an additional 5 minutes. Test with your finger to make sure the mixture is warmed through. Allow to cool. It should again form a ribbon and have the consistency of thick creamy mayonnaise.

Stir the chocolate until smooth and gradually add the softened butter. When totally in corporate stir the mixture into the yolks and sugar.

In a clean dry bowl beat the room temperature egg whites. Begin slowly and increase the speed until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP of sugar and a pinch of salt. Continue beating until stiff peaks are formed.

Fold 1/4 of the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Scoop the remaining egg whites on top and delicately fold them inches.

Place into a mold or serving dishes and chill for several hours or overnight.

Select you favourite fruit to set at the bottom if desired.

Set the berries at the bottom of the shot glasses.

Melt the chocolate and 4 tablespoons of coffee together.

Beat the yolks and sugar until ribbons are created, long streams flow of the whisk

Beat in coffee over simmering water

Egg whites should hold their form when ready

Do not use an electric beater when mixing in egg whites. Lightly mix and fold them in so as not to lose the fluffy consistency.

The mixture will be thin until it sets. You can pour it in the shot glasses, or let it set and pipe it in. I choose to pipe it in later, usually with a sandwich bag with the corner cut off after the set mousse has been put in. If you don't want to do shooters, separate it into dessert bowls and let set.



Tips:

I usually use the coffee in my mousse as it is a great blend. These ideas are great, however they are so easy to modify based on the bakers own vision. These are just starters to get the mind working to imagine different versions.

These are my gorgeous prom shoes. I love thin stilettos, I find them very flattering especially because I am tall and have long legs. And find my sun tanning lizard and you have great eyes.

So now that I am tired and sore from playing with my nephew, it is time for bed. Oh and I mentioned last night, I have been seeing the Venus and Jupiter outside my window the last few nights. I got a picture!

Jupiter is on top, They are just gorgeous to see.

As Julia would say "Bon Appetit!"

Happy Baking!

Sey