For winter-haters like myself, the first days of the year above 60° sends our pulse racing that spring might finally be on the horizon. Yeah yeah, late freezes, blah blah, cold winds from the north, whatever. I am already eying the neighborhood  pool (hey, we even had money to pay the dues this year, so I might actually get to use it!) and dreaming of firing up the grill for cook-outs. With cook-outs, warm afternoons, and my friends on mind, I saw this little recipe gem and I was…well…I was in love!

Lemon Drop Jello Shots

Photo by Bakers Royale

No more stealing the paper ketchup cups from McDonald’s…wait, I mean buying those little paper cups legitimately from the internet. Now your jello shots can be delivered in a attractive and environmentally friendly container.

Before you make your shot mix however, you need to prepare your fruit. Now I am a lemonhead, so I am doing this recipe with lemons, but it can be done with pretty much any citrus fruit. With all of the different flavors of jello available, you could make a wide variety of fruit/liquor/color combination.

First step is to prep 8 lemons (this will yield 32 finished servings). Cut lemons in half and juice. Set the juice aside, you’ll need it later. Using a grapefruit spoon (or a paring knife if your careful), remove the insides of fruit and. Try and get a nice smooth inside to your halves. You can also try turning the fruit inside-out and scraping the pith clean that way.

photo by Bakers Royale

Now that your vessels are ready to receive their bounty, time for the jello shot recipe. Perform a Google search and you will find tons. This one looked exceptionally delicious, but you could use just about any found online. Just remember that you may need to adjust the ingredient quantities so that it yields approximately 3 cups of shot mix.

Lemon Drop Jello Shots

• 8 large lemons, sliced in half and prepped
  
• 2 packages lemon Jello
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup liquor (I like Bacardi Limón for this recipe)
  
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 1/2 cup sugar, for dipping

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Combine water and jello mix and stir until mix is dissolved. Then add the liquor, lemon juice and cold water.
3. Place the empty lemon peels hollow side up into a muffin pan. Pour the jello shot mix into the shells until it reaches the rim of the fruit.
4. Once all your fruits are filled, place muffin tins into the fridge for approximately 4 hours, or until the jello is firmly set.
5. To serve, warm a shape-edged knife under hot water. Dry knife and slice halves into wedges.
6. Pour the sugar on a plate and coat wedges on both sides.
7. Share and enjoy!

Photo by Bakers Royale

Now if the kids sneak out from bed while you are having a shot, you can just pop the rind in your mouth and give them a silly grin, and no one will be the wiser as to what your really up to.