Bailey's chocolate mousse

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• ¼ c. boiling water
• ½ c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1½ c. heavy cream, very cold
• ½ c. Bailey's, very cold
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; stir and let stand 1 minute to soften.
2. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Let stand to cool.
3. Before preparing mousse, prep bowl and beaters by placing in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
4. Stir together sugar and cocoa in small mixing bowl; add heavy cream.
5. Beat at medium speed until stiff peaks form; gradually pour in Bailey's, vanilla, and gelatin mixture, beating continuously at high speed until well-blended and soft peaks form.
6. Spoon into serving dishes and place in refrigerator to chill.
7. Chill 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Sponge (aka Honeycomb) Candy

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon gelatin powder
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda

Directions

1. Line a 9x9-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing it to extend over the edges.
2. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1 teaspoon water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
3. In a medium pot with high sides, combine sugar, honey and ½ cup water. Heat and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Wash down any sugar crystals from the sides with a wet pastry brush. Clip on candy thermometer and heat to 300° F. This should take about 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the pot from the heat and let sit for two minutes, bubbling should subside. At this point, microwave the gelatin for 30 seconds to melt. Add gelatin and whisk it in. Be careful, the sugar syrup will bubble up.
5. Return sugar syrup to the heat and bring temperature back up to 280° F. Sprinkle baking soda over syrup and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. The sugar will rise up to the top of the pot, bubbling like crazy. Again, be careful!!
6. Quickly pour the bubbling mixture into prepared pan. Do not spread the mixture, just let it settle into the pan. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
7. Either break into odd pieces or cut into squares. To cut into squares - using a serrated knife, score the candy at 1-inch intervals. Snap the candy apart at the score lines.
8. Dip sponge candies in tempered chocolate, tap off excess. Chill in the fridge to set the chocolate shell.

Pudding Jello Fruit Fluff

Ingredients

• 16 oz fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• 1 ounce fat-free sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/3 ounce sugar-free raspberry gelatin mix
• 20 ounce no sugar added pineapple
• 16 ounce no sugar added fruit cocktail
• 16 ounce no sugar added mandarin orange

Directions

1. Drain pineapple, fruit cocktail, and mandarin oranges.
2. Mix gelatin and pudding mixes into thawed whipped topping.
3. Gently fold drained fruit into whipped topping mixture.
4. Chill until ready to serve.

Watermelon Jell-O Shots

Ingredients

• 1 12–16 pound watermelon
• 4 cups vodka
• 4 3-ounce boxes red Jell-O mix
• 2 1-ounce boxes unflavored gelatin

Preparation

1. Using a large chef’s knife, cut the watermelon into two equal halves, lengthwise.
2. Use your knife to slice all the way around the perimeter of the watermelon flesh, about an inch from the rind. Be careful not to pierce through the skin, as this will lead to your Jell-O leaking out. Then use a kitchen spoon to scrape out the rest and create a smooth bowl with roughly 1/2-inch red watermelon flesh left on the rind.
3. Line two small, rimmed baking sheets with paper towels in a way that creates a bed for your watermelon bowls. The idea is to create enough support to keep the watermelon bowls from rolling at all while they’re in the fridge. Put one bowl in the center of each tray and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Jell-O mix and the unflavored gelatin. Add 4 cups of boiling water and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka all at once and whisk just to combine.
5. Pour the Jell-O mixture into the watermelon bowls, dividing evenly. Carefully place the Jell-O filled watermelon bowls in the fridge, and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
6. When Jell-O is set, cut each half into 1-inch slices, crosswise, then cut each slice into 2–3 wedges, and serve.