Valentine Strawberry Champagne Shots (Printer-friendly)

Sparkling strawberry and champagne treat ideal for festive Valentine’s celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 cup champagne or sparkling wine
02 - 1/2 cup cold water
03 - 1/2 cup strawberry puree from fresh or frozen strawberries
04 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
05 - 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

→ Garnish

06 - 6 fresh strawberries, sliced
07 - Edible glitter or gold sprinkles, optional
08 - Whipped cream, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a small saucepan, combine cold water and gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
02 - Gently heat the saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves completely without boiling.
03 - Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
04 - In a mixing bowl, combine strawberry puree and champagne. Slowly whisk in the gelatin mixture until fully incorporated.
05 - Pour the mixture evenly into 18 shot cups or silicone molds.
06 - Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until completely set.
07 - Before serving, top each shot with a strawberry slice, a dollop of whipped cream, and a sprinkle of edible glitter or gold sprinkles if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're fancy enough to make you feel like you nailed hosting, but simple enough that nothing can go wrong.
  • The champagne stays present and bubbly instead of cooking off, which surprised me the first time I tasted the difference.
  • You can make these three hours ahead and just dress them up five minutes before guests arrive, which means you actually get to enjoy your own party.
02 -
  • If you skip the blooming step and just dump dry gelatin into hot liquid, it will clump into rubbery balls that never fully dissolve, which I learned the hard way before I learned to listen to recipes.
  • Champagne needs to be added after the gelatin cools slightly, or the heat can make some of the bubbles escape before they're set into the gel—which sounds silly until you realize those bubbles are part of what makes these special.
  • The difference between three hours of chilling and four hours is noticeable; these actually improve if you give them extra time to set completely.
03 -
  • If you accidentally let your gelatin get too warm and want to salvage it, place the bowl over ice water and whisk constantly until it cools to room temperature before adding the champagne—this prevents the bubbles from escaping.
  • Measure your champagne first and let it come to room temperature slightly; cold champagne added to warm gelatin can cause the mixture to set unevenly at the edges.
  • For a prettier presentation, arrange the sliced strawberries in the bottom of the molds before pouring the mixture, so they're suspended in the center when unmolded.
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