Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots

July is a great month: it is summer in all its glory! And what better way to celebrate sunny days, pool parties, beach bonfires, and fireflies than with plump, luscious Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots. Yes, classy jello shots – no plastic condiment cups here!

STRAWBERRY MARGARITA JELLO SHOTS

For our family, July 2012 is one we will never forget. We’re celebrating the birth of our first grandchild (eek) and a smooth beginning to College Girl’s six-month adventure in Japan. In celebration, I’m closing July with a BANG! by sharing this recipe for Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots. It wasn’t something I made with the intention of posting (e.g. only iPhone photos), but due to the outpouring on Facebook and Instagram, I’m happy to oblige. Share the love, you know.

Jello Shots for Dessert

I brought these plump little teasers as my contribution to dessert at a book signing party for food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule and food photographer Paulette Phlipo’s lush newly-released cookbook Ripe at my friend Kim’s “Rustic Garden Bistro”.

I had these juicy little jello shots in the back of mind to make during the dog days of summer ever since I pinned the photo a few months ago on Pinterest. The recipe I used for the margarita lime jello inside those luscious berries is courtesy of  Kim from Liv Life who credits the idea for the strawberry jello shots to Bakers Royale.

Recipe for Strawberry Margarita Jello Shots

First, go to your local farmers market and buy the biggest, sweetest, juiciest strawberries you can find – preferably organic, of course. Normally, I don’t recommend buying the biggest of anything, but in this case, the bigger the better!

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Strawberry Lime Margarita Jello Shots

Ingredients

• 2 pints of large fresh strawberries
• Garnish 2 limes halved and thinly sliced

Margarita Lime Jello

• 6 oz. good quality tequila* 3/4 of a cup
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 or more! Tbs sugar
• 2 envelopes Knox Original Gelatin Unflavored,
• 6 Tbs Water
• 1-2 Tbs Grand Marnier or Courvoisier
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Cut the bottoms of the strawberry flat to get them to stand upright. When you do so, make sure that you do not cut off so much that there is a hole at the bottom.
2. Use a huller, apple corer, or paring knife to carefully remove the fruit from inside the strawberry.

Jello:

1. In a medium bowl add tequila and fresh squeezed juices. Sprinkle geletin over the top. Heat water in a microwave until boiling, add sugar and whisk a few times. Pour hot sugar water into the tequila and add Grand Marnier and a small pinch of salt.
2. Whisk the mixture until gelatin dissolves (I whisked for about 3 minutes). If gelatin is not dissolving, heat briefly (start at 30 seconds) in the microwave, being careful not to allow mixture to boil and continue whisking. The sugar will also dissolve. Pour the mixture into a 1 cup glass measuring cup and slowly pour into the center of each strawberry. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Once the strawberries have been emptied, use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to pat the outside of the strawberries dry.
4. Check each strawberry and make sure there is not a hole in the bottom before you start filling.

Recipe Notes

* I used Cazadores.

Recipe adapted from Bakers Royale and the Liv Life (margarita jello).

July is also National Ice Cream Month AND National Berry Month. I don’t know what organization determines this, but we food bloggers love themes! I’ve seen tons of frosty frozen treats to cool a sweltering nation, luscious, exotic ice cream and gelato flavors, and mouthwatering berry cakes, scones, and muffins to support the cause.

Enjoy all the July goodies!!