Jello shots: keeping it classy

Last Halloween, I wanted to throw a party for the ages, and searched high and low on the internet for the perfect themed consumables.  That's when I stumbled upon this lovely site that had a fantastic recipe for candy corn jello shots.  They were such a hit, and so was the party, that I actually don't think I ever got a picture of them!

Now, I know what you're thinking - jello shots are so...college.  But I promise you, with the right level of decorum, they can be the perfect accompaniment to any festive occasion.  

Case in point: I fiddled with the candy corn recipe for a Super Bowl party we threw earlier this month, with the colors representing the two teams playing.  Putting these babies together is like composing a painting: the boxed jellos are transparent, so if you want to add opacity, just mix in some of that handy coconut milk that's in the candy corn recipe.  For white, use coconut milk plus unflavored Knox gelatin.  The coconut will add (obvs) coconut flavor, and a really creamy texture to balance out the gelatinous jello layers.  And BAM - jello shot mouthfeel analysis complete.

And if you need a color that you can't find in the confections aisle of the grocery store, add a few drops of food dye blend to get the perfect color for the occasion.  In fact, here I added a little more green to the first layer to get a more intense shade.

Layer 1 the night before the party: lime green

Layer 2 the morning of the party: coconut white

Layer 3 the afternoon of the party: orange...orange

To classy up the finished product, arrange them nicely on your finest serving platter, and insist that each guest (minus designated drivers, of course) take one as soon as they cross your threshold.  Your guests will be so excited about them (well, some more than others, but let's not count that against them), and after having one or two each they'll help get your party started in no time at all!  I'm definitely going to have to experiment on a cranberry version to serve this Thanksgiving.

Now, I've already gotten a few requests that posts thus far have been lacking in the pup department.  So, for your cuteness pleasure, here's a bored Casper and a sleepy Elba snuggling together.  This is how they feel about fruity jello and football:

(Casper is still pretty interested because jello probably tastes a lot better than dirt and dead leaves.)