the perfect jello shot

I had this great idea for a different kind of Valentine's Day treat.

Something a little outside the box... the gelatin box that is!

I wanted to try making heart-shaped pop rocks jello shots.

So I mixed up a batch of cherry/vodka jello shots according to my secret recipe.

I poured the mixture in a heart-shaped silicone mold I have, 

though you can also use small plastic condiment cups. 

After the gelatin set for an hour, I mixed in some Pop Rocks for an extra punch.

Well, the pop rocks started popping and they didn't stop. 

I ended up with bubbly half-set jello. 

So I tried again, this time just using the silicone heart mold. 

Turns out jello doesn't pop out so easy, even with cooking spray!

So as they say, the third time is the charm:

regular old jello shots.

I've been using this basic jello shot recipe since my college years, and it never fails.

1 3oz package cherry flavored Jello gelatin mix

1 cup boiling water

1 cup vodka

Let set 4-6 hours at least, best overnight.

You can adapt this recipe to use different flavors of Jello and other types of liquor...

just stick with the condiment cups!