OK, kids: This is coffee. In solid form.

It’s been sweetened with condensed milk and booze-ified with a healthy dose of Kahlua—then rubberized into a blissful, cocktail-hour finger food thanks to the magic of gelatin.

(If you know me, you know how much I love coffee, so you can imagine how excited I was when I came across the recipe.)

Now, you have to like Jello, or Jello-like food, for this to work. If you do, you’re in for a treat.

Huge thanks to The Food Librarian for sharing their deliciousness. I tweaked her recipe, and will definitely be making them again.

(If you haven’t checked out the Food Librarian’s blog, you should. She does some amazing things with jello—not to mention other yummy stuff.)

So, years ago, I had several meals that ended with Classic American Jello Mold Torture. You know the kind I’m talking about. Those domed, gelatinous creatures swimming with fruit that seem like they should be on the table at a science fair—not in your dining room.

This is not that jello.

This jello is the short and stout cousin of Vietnamese iced coffee, that fabulous concoction of espresso and condensed milk.

This is jello that you could serve to your foodie friends. If you’re me, this is also your midnight-snack jello. And since I added a good dose of Kahlua to them, I guess they’re also kind of like Jello Jigglers for grown-ups.

This stuff is silly. This stuff is good. Go make some. You’ll see.

The short version of the recipe goes like this

Bloom the gelatin (i.e. mix it together with water) for about 10 minutes. Make some coffee. Add it to the gelatin, along with the condensed milk and Kahlua. Pour it into a pan and pop it into the fridge until it sets.

That’s it.(Really.)

Read on for step-by-step instrux of what that looks like.

Oh, be sure to get sweetened condensed milk (which is milk that’s been cooked down with sugar) NOT evaporated milk (which is unsweetened).

Drunken Coffee Jello Squares

Adapted from The Food Librarian

1/2 cup cold water
1 3/4 cups strong coffee, hot (I brewed 8 Tbls. French Roast with 2 cups water)
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
3 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin
3 Tbls. Kahlua or other coffee liquor

8-inch x 8-inch glass baking pan

Brew the coffee

Make the coffee the way you normally would at home. The goal is to wind up with 1 3/4 cups of strong coffee. For me, I used 8 Tbls. French Roast to 2 cups of water.

Make the gelatin mixture

Grab your gelatin. I used regular old, unflavored Knox gelatin. You can find this in the baking aisle of most major U.S. grocery stores.

Put the water in a large bowl.

Toss in the gelatin. (Normally, I like to measure gelatin out, since the packages can have a varying amount of gelatin in them, but I went with the Food Librarian’s directions, and it came out just fine.)

Give it a stir to mix. It should immediately start to thicken and suck up the water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. (This process is called “blooming” the gelatin. Basically, you’re rehydrating it.)

After 10 minutes, it should be rubbery but still fairly soft.

Add the hot, brewed coffee to the gelatin.

Whisk it gently (gently!!! see below…) to break up the gelatin and incorporate it with the coffee.

Pour in the condensed milk. Whisk gently to combine.

Add the Kahlua. (If you don’t fancy Kahlua, definitely swap in your favorite liquor. Anything you’d normally put in coffee should work. Amaretto, Frangelico, etc.)

Whisk to combine.

Now, I goofed here, I think. I whisked a little too vigorously, which created a lot of froth on the surface of the mixture. As the gelatin sets in the fridge, those bubbles will set on the surface. To avoid bubbly gelatin, mix gently.

Pour it into your glass pan. (No need to grease or line the pan. Jello won’t stick to glass.)

Refrigerate until set

Pop it into the fridge and refrigerate for a few hours, until set firmly. (If you do wind up with those bubbles on the surface, let it sit for about 20 minutes in the fridge, then yank it out and skim the top layer off.)

Slice, inhale, enjoy!

When your Drunken Coffee Jello Squares have set up, they should look about like this:

Slice them into squares (or cut them into shapes with little cookie cutters) and serve. The Food Librarian served them in little paper muffin cups, which sounds like a great idea to me.

Now that I have the basic method down, I think I’m going to try these next with tea! I’ll let you guys know how it goes…

Hope you guys are having a nice summer!

We’ve been spending a lot of time chasing after Miss. Penelope. I’ve also been puttering around in my herb garden, which seems to be very happy on our back porch.

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Ever indulge in a little too much tequila? Raise your hand. (I won’t tell.)

You know the time I’m talking about. Those margaritas on the roofdeck of your favorite cantina. Or those shots after midnight at that hole in the wall just past the city limits. Oh, or that frat party near the end of your senior year.

Regardless of the details, seems like everyone has at least one Epic Tequila Story. (Except me, of course. I swear.)

And, of course, that’s not remotely the kind of tequila experience I’m talking about today.

In the last ten years or so, tequila has come a long way, graduating from sloppy sorority girl to polished socialite. Forget those neon green margaritas. I’m talking about tequila that you’d sip, well, like scotch.

Much like the explosion of microbrews and artisan whiskies, smaller tequila makers have been sprouting up left and right, giving good ole Jose Cuervo a run for his agave.

His blue agave, to be exact. That’s this stuff (wouldn’t want to run into one of these spiny beasts in a dark alley, eh?):

Blue agave (Agave tequiliana Weber) is actually a member of the lily family, even though it looks like it’d be more at home on the cactus family tree. It’s grown in certain parts of Mexico, and the plants—which can grow up to 15 feet tall—take 8 – 12 years to mature before they’re ripe for harvesting for tequila.

Partida Tequila, the brand we sampled for this article, is actually one of the few tequilas that qualifies as “estate grown.” This means that they own all the land that their agave is grown on, so they’re able to keep a close eye on quality and consistency.

Sounds about right to me. Their tequila was great.

Premium tequila vs. mixto

Tequila is closely regulated by the Tequila Regulatory Council (no joke) and tagged with appelation-of-origin status, just like wine and cognac.

To be considered a premium tequila, the spirit must be made with 100% blue agave, with no artificial flavors or colors added. Anything else is just mixto. Literally.

Tequila that has additives, but is at least 51% agave, is considered “mixto,” or mixed. Mixto tequilas showed up in the 1930s, as a way to stretch agave during a shortage.

Different types of tequila

When you’re at the liquor store, keep your eyes out for the five basic types of tequilas. Here’s a quick guide:

Gold—Any tequila labeled “gold” is usually mixto (not premium), which means it’s had caramel color and/or flavors added to it. This is the kind of tequila that usually shows up in mixed drinks.

Silver / White—Premium tequila that hasn’t been aged, so it’s clear in color and pure in flavor, so you can taste the agave.

Reposada—“Reposada” means rested, and that’s just what this tequila has done: It’s aged in barrels (whiskey, cognac, wine, etc.) for two to twelve months. It gets flavor and a light golden color from the barrels.

Anejo—This is tequila that’s been barrel aged for one to three years. The barrels give it deep, woody notes and a deeper, almost amber color.

Extra Anejo—A relatively new tequila classification, this tequila has been aged for three years or more. It’s deeply flavored, and dark amber in color.

Tequila in the mail = A happy day at The Mouse House

So, like I said, the good folks at Partida Tequila were kind enough to send me a few small, complimentary bottles of their brew to sample. (Thank you, Partida!).

We consulted the pros

Not being a very educated tequila consumer, I pocketed the bottles and The Angry Chef and I headed over to the headquarters of the cocktail experts at SeeMyDrink.com. The senior staff over there has years of experience tending bar, so we were eager to get their opinion on the Partida.

Sidebar: More on these guys soon. SeeMyDrink.com is an awesome company and one of our newest partners here at The Hungry Mouse. Think cocktails meet Facebook and Flickr. They’re just getting ready to launch their beta, and we couldn’t be more excited. Stay tuned.

Alrighty, to the bar!

Here are our tasting notes, along with a little info on each from Partida. (I’m a sucker for a good bottle. I saved all three of them to use in future kitchen projects.)

Partida Blanco

What we said
Clean taste. Easy on the palate. Nice aftertaste. Doesn’t taste cheap. A little floral.

What Partida says
Distinctive notes of blue agave, citrus, tropical fruit. Suggested retail is $50.

Our verdict
We liked it, and all agreed that, of the three tequilas, this would be the one we would shake up in a cocktail.

Partida Anejo

What we said
Stronger than the Blanco, bordering on harsh. Hints of pepper and peppermint. Fiery on the front of your palate and the tip of your tongue. Smokey and woodsy.

What they said
The smoke and wood we picked up were likely from the one-pass Jack Daniels barrels that Partida uses to age their Anejo. Suggested retail is $67.

Our verdict
Definitely a sipping drink for folks who like strong tequila with complex flavors.

Partida Reposado

What we said
Sweeter than the Blanco and smoother than the Anejo. Really nice, slow heat. Smells a little malty. Hints of vanilla and hazelnut. Long aftertaste. No smoke.

What they said
Their richest and smoothest tequila. A rich finish topped off with scents of vanilla, hazelnut and almond. Suggested retail is $58.

Our verdict
Our favorite. Really great flavor—and really easy to drink. Best of both worlds. Who can complain?

The bottom line?

If you like tequila, definitely try Partida. It’s good stuff, and well worth the cost.

Oh, and if you want to go all out, they also sell bottles of their top-of-the-line Elegante for $350.

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So, say I was *actually* mouse-sized. (I’m not saying that I’m NOT, just imagine if I were.) This would be the best hot tub ever.

Hot tub?

Yep, hot tub.

As in, freshly brewed dark roast with a generous, nutty drizzle of amaretto and frangelico, topped off with homemade whipped cream that’s been laced with sugar and cocoa powder. The chocolate whipped cream melts into the coffee, and adds just a hint of chocolate creaminess.

I mean, look at it. I would swim around in that in a heartbeat.

Waitress, get me a hot, festive cocktail!

Well, the holidays are upon us! I know I say this every year, but: I have no idea how it’s New Year’s already.

I have a ton of great food to share with you guys, but I’m going to opt for something simple today.

Partly because The Mouse House is still in holiday overdrive. Partly because this is one of my favorite drinks to cozy up with on a cold winter night—and goodness knows it’s been freezing here north of Boston.

Don’t believe me? Here’s our Barking Sous Chef, Dexter, during the last blizzard. (Yep, there’s a dog somewhere under that thick frosting of snow…) He was happy as could be outside. That made one of us…

Ah, coffee

It’s one of my favorite things. Especially when you drop a little hooch in it.

There are a zillion ways to make Italian coffee—including everything from brandy to anisette to cinnamon. This is how I make mine.

I use a 1:1 ratio of frangelico (hazelnut) and amaretto (almond) liqueurs. Dial the booze up or down to fit your taste.

It’s pretty standard until you get to the chocolate whipped cream—which has to be one of the best substances on the planet.

Seriously, chocolate whipped cream should almost be illegal. Almost.

Lazy man’s whipped cream

I should note that the Instant Blender Method I detail below is not really the proper way to make whipped cream because it’s really (really, really) easy to overwhip it.

This is how you should make whipped cream when you’re in Extreme Lazy Mode, and you need something sinful and delicious to toss on top of a cocktail at the end of the night.

Boozy Italian Coffee Infused with Chocolate Whipped Cream

Coffee
1 mug of freshly brewed hot coffee
1 shot Frangelico
1 shot amaretto liqueur

Chocolate Whipped Cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. confectioner’s sugar

Regular whipped cream, for garnish

Serves 1

Start with freshly brewed coffee

Brew up some of your favorite coffee. I almost always use a really dark roast.

Make the chocolate whipped cream

Like I said, this isn’t really the right way to make whipped cream. (If you like, you could certainly use a whisk or a proper handheld mixer.) But it *is* fast and easy. And that’s what I’m after. At least for today.

So! Put the cream in your blender.

Toss in the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder.

Blend for maybe 20 seconds, until the mixture thickens into whipped cream.

You want it to look about like this:

Assemble your coffee

Fill your mug with hot coffee. Leave about a half inch or so at the top.

Pour in the amaretto and frangelico. Give it a quick stir with a spoon to combine.

Top with a few heaping spoons of chocolate whipped cream. If you want to get fancy with it, put the whipped cream in a pastry bag and pipe it on. (Don’t have a pastry bag? Improvise one by spooning the whipped cream into a zip-top bag, nipping off one corner and using that to pipe the topping.) If you want to go nuts, grate on a little dark chocolate and serve with a chocolate Pirouette cookie.

The whipped cream will melt into the coffee as you stir.

Add a little more chocolate whipped cream, or top with some regular ole canned stuff if you like.

You mean Redi-Whip?!? Are you serious, Mouse?

I’m dead serious. Everyone should have a can of Redi-Whip (or something like it) in the house for dessert emergencies. It doesn’t hold a candle to homemade creme chantilly, but it keeps forever and is the perfect two-second garnish for any kind of improvised sweet treat.

Enjoy!

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Psssst.

Hey, you! (Yes, you!)

It’s getting cold up here in New England. How about a toasty autumn cocktail to warm you up?

With fall well underway, Cocktail Season is in full effect here at The Mouse House. We just spent an evening with the good folks over at The Salem Insider, whipping up ghastly and ghoulish Halloween drinks. (More on those soon.)

In the meantime, here are three of our favorite fall drinks—guaranteed to knock that seasonal chill right off.

1. Maple Fireside Nightcap

You gotta love a drink that has you measuring out shots of maple syrup. This drink is reminiscent of Macallan’s Amber—a heavenly, pecan-scented whiskey. It combines scotch, pure maple syrup, and just a hint of nutty liqueur.

2. Nutty Spiked Cider for Two

The Angry Chef first whipped one of these up when I had a cold and started whining about wanting an “apple cider hot toddy.” The rest is history. It’s become one of my favorite fall cocktails. For this one, warm cider is infused with a hint of autumn spices—and a little frangelico and amaretto.

3. Chocolate & Vanilla Guinness Floats with Creme Chantilly

Even though this one is a wee bit frosty, it’ll warm you through and through. Guinness Floats are one part cocktail and one part dessert. If you haven’t ever had one of these, don’t be put off by the ice cream. This drink is a velvety, grown-up take on the classic root beer float—and an old Boston stand by. We like to make them for friends on movie nights and serve them with a plate of warm, chewy brownies.

Boston & North Shore Peeps: Come to Salem Harvest Fest on Saturday, October 24!

Oh, and speaking of cocktails, we’re definitely going to stop by the Salem Harvest Fest this weekend. It’s put on by Pamplemousse, one of our favorite local kitchen stores, and features a selection of wine, beer, mead, and food—plus live music. Definitely head over if you’re in the area.

What’s your favorite fall cocktail?

How about you? What’s your favorite thing to drink when the temperature starts to drop? Leave a comment and let us know.

Cheers!

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I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite milkshake.

I can’t take credit for this idea. It’s my version of the Apple Cider Milkshake I had at the Ben & Jerry’s in Salem the other day, while I was waiting for The Angry Chef to pick me up on a rainy day.

Thank god for the rain, because I would have missed this if I didn’t have a pressing urge to stay dry.

When he pulled up, I got into the car, triumphantly waving my milkshake at him.

“You have to try this. It’s amazing,” I squeaked.

“What is it?”

“An apple cider milkshake. And it’s delicious.”

“It sounds gross,” he said, but took a cautious pull on the straw to be polite. (After years, he knows it’s easier to just give in and taste.)

“It’s strange,” he said, and took another sip. “Yeah, it’s definitely odd.”

And then he drank half the shake.

Strange, eh? How about strangely delicious, my dear Angry Chef. Now that’s more like it.

The next day, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, I did the only logical thing: I busted out the blender.

I had a quart of cider from Brooksby Farm in the fridge, as well as a pint of good vanilla ice cream. (Brooksby Farm in Peabody, Mass. is awesome. Check out the pics of last year’s apple-picking adventure there.)

It took me a few shakes to come up with the right ratio of apple cider to vanilla ice cream. (Harrowing work, tasting all those shakes, I know.)

If you like apple pie a la mode, you’ll love this. It’s creamy and apple-y, with just a touch of warm, fragrant cinnamon. You could substitute a little pumpkin pie spice or ground cardamom for the cinnamon, if you like.

For a booze-y version, try tossing in a little apple brandy or schnapps. Serve topped with whipped cream or homemade creme chantilly, with a dusting of ground cinnamon.

Apple Pie in a Glass (a.k.a. Apple Cider Milkshake)

1/2 – 3/4 cup apple cider
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon + more for garnish
French vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream

Makes 1 milkshake in a pint glass

Apple Pie in a Glass: Shake up your shake

Grab a pint glass. Pack it loosely with vanilla ice cream. Set it aside for a sec.

Add the apple cider to your blender.

The cider measurement in the recipe is approximate, depending on how thick you want your shake. Start with less, then blend in more once you add the ice cream to thin it out.

Toss in the cinnamon.

Transfer the ice cream from your pint glass to the blender.

Blend on high for a minute or two until well combined. Give it a quick taste to check the consistency. To thin it out, add a little more apple cider and blend again.

Pour the shake back into your glass. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Enjoy!

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