Kentucky Apple Sour Jellies

Jell-O shots are fun, but they don’t taste like cocktails.  This sophisticated take on the Jell-O shot, which like the Brits we’re going to call a “jelly,” tastes like a cocktail in solid form. I reinterpreted the Kentucky Apple Sour, a recipe from our upcoming book DIY Cocktails, and turned it into a jiggly finger food. I used sparkling apple juice because I had some in the house and think it adds a little kick to the jelly. However, sparkling ingredients make the jelly a little foamy and plain old apple juice will taste just as good and look a little smoother.

Ingredients

• 2 envelopes gelatin
• ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice
• 1/3 cup Grand Marnier
• 1 ¼ cups sparkling apple juice
• 1 ½ ounces bourbon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Optional: cocktail cherries [ed. we recommend these honey bourbon cocktail cherries]

Instructions

Combine the bourbon, half the Grand Marnier and 1 cup of the apple juice in a bowl. Take the rest of the liquid ingredients and bring them to a boil in a sauce pan, then remove from heat. Empty the gelatin into the cold ingredients bowl and let it sit for about a minute. Then stir in the hot ingredients and honey.

There are several options for serving:

In shot glasses: Put a cherry in each glass, then pour the liquid on top. Let them set in the fridge for a minimum of three hours. Serve in the glasses. This recipe makes roughly 8 servings.

In cubes: Spray an ice cube tray with non-stick cooking spray. Put a cherry in each cube, then pour liquid on top. Let them set in the fridge for a minimum of three hours, then pop them out when you’re ready to serve. Makes roughly a full tray.

In a pan: Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in liquid, then place cherries throughout. Let it set in the fridge for a minimum of three hours, then slice into small servings and remove from pan.