Today is a big day.
It’s April Fool’s Day. Game of Thrones (Season 2) premiers tonight. A new recipe swap goes up today.
And there’s a new episode of Mad Men on tonight.
I adore Mad Men. I think the writing is fantastic, the sets and wardrobes are stunning, and I have a soft spot in my heart for Don Draper.
So I think that it’s entirely fitting that I’m giving my recipe swap post a Mad Men twist.
If you’re unfamiliar, I’m part of a Recipe Swap group that re-interprets vintage recipes. Christianna from Burwell General Store selects a recipe from an old cookbook and emails it to the group. We then create our own interpretations of the recipe, and we all post on the first Sunday of the month.
This month’s recipe was bizarre, to say the least. Christianna selected “Ham Snails“, in honor of the post going up on April Fool’s Day.
I read through the recipe a few times and to be honest, I was somewhat repulsed. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the recipe. Nothing about it sounded appealing to me. (And, I’m still in the middle of Lent, so I knew that I couldn’t actually make something with ham.) But for whatever reason, I kept coming back to the “jelly roll” part of the recipe. I wasn’t about to make a ham snail, but I could work with a jelly roll.
And somewhere along the way, a jelly roll turned into a jello shot.
I’m not quite sure how it happened, but I’m happy that it did. I was researching classic cocktails to make for this evening, as we’re having a few friends over to watch Mad Men and Game of Thrones. And I cam across a recipe for Gin & Tonic Jellies. Done and done.
You see, the gin and tonic is my all time favorite cocktail. It is simple, crisp, refreshing, and perfect. I was giddy at the prospect of turning my favorite cocktail into jello. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone: these gin & tonic jellies are my ode to both ham snails and Mad Men.
Sure, it might be a stretch. But it’s a delicious (and boozy) stretch.
So happy recipe swap, everyone! (And happy April Fools! And Mad Men! And Game of Thrones!)
GIN & TONIC JELLY SHOTS
(Adapted from The Food Network)
10 ounces tonic water (I use Q Tonic Water)
6 ounces gin
4 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 limes, hollowed and flesh/pulp removed (See note below)
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
Lime zest, for garnish
Note: If you would like to make jello shot lime wedges, first cut two limes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or small paring knife, remove the lime flesh and pulp, leaving the “shell” in tact. Once all the flesh is scraped out, set aside until ready to use.
Pour half of the tonic water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the tonic (do not stir) and allow to set until the gelatin blooms (5 minutes).
Meanwhile, heat the rest of the tonic water and the lime juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring the tonic to a low simmer and then whisk the hot tonic into the gelatin mixture. Whisk in the gin. Pour the mixture into shot glasses or hollowed lime halves and place in the refrigerator for 2+ hours (or until set). Garnish with lime zest. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Wow! These look so elegant and modern, how very Mad Men of you! I love your interpretation of the swap. I must admit I cackled a little bit when I saw your group’s recipe… after our nasty Jello snowflake salad last swap, I thought you guys got off a little easy with the pizza. Payback, I thought!
But alas, Christianna has given our group another doozy, so in the end, I think she’s just messing with both groups. :)
Anyway, gorgeous photos, delicious sounding recipe! I can’t wait to give them a try…
Fantastic. I, too, love a good gin and tonic (and maybe a little Don Draper on the side).
Right? You can never go wrong with a g&t or don Draper! :)
Ah, I love G&Ts. They are my favourite Friday-after-work drink. Your interpretation of the ham snail is a definite improvement! Haha.
I just laughed so hard. “And somehow a jelly roll turned into a jello shot…” I LOVE that. I like all of the crazy twists this weird recipe has taken. So funny!
Oh! I remember jelly shots days. Thanks for taking me down memory lane. :-)
I’ve never watched “Mad Men,” but I am a “Game of Thrones” fan! And I enjoyed every bit of it last night :)
This recipe looks like a little mouthful of summer. I believe I’ll have to make these for my first pool party of the season.
I host a link up party every Friday: Happy Hour Friday, and would love for you to link this recipe (and other of your other concoctions). Hope you can make it!
–shelley
GENIUS! My favorite cocktail is the gin & tonic – double lime! LOVE this post and perfect for the recipe AND April fools! BTW – I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but the blog is looking FAB!
Thanks, Ann! I’m so glad you like how it’s looking these days. Your kind words mean a lot!
Haha! Love how your jelly roll turned into shots. Have been hearing a lot about both Mad Men and Game of Thrones, but have not watched either yet. I want to read the Game of Thrones books though.
Shumalia, I am currently reading the third book in the Game of Thrones series. They are very addicting, and I think they are quite well written. I highly recommend the show(s) and the books!
I love that you made it into shots. That is so wild. I am giving this one to my brother. He’ll want to do it with vodka though. Lol.
How creative and refreshing! I love anything with lime in it, always makes me feel like I do not live in a currently cold and cloudy place.
Great idea! I’d just recommend hollowing out more than two limes for your shot cups. I wound up using 10 when I made mine.
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