These elderberry gelatin shots are a great way to use elderberry as a functional food. Fruits that are high in antioxidants help us stay healthy, over the winter. Elderberry has more benefits than just antioxidants though, so try these shots to enjoy elderberry as something more than medicine.
The trick to staying healthy all winter is to eat well, with lots of berries and small fruits, plus vegetables and herbs. These are low in sugar and carbohydrates, and add lots of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and antioxidants to your diet, as well as vitamins.
Elderberry is a cornerstone to your winter health arsenal. Elderberry has been shown in scientific studies to prevent viruses from replicating in your cells. There are three, currently circulating, myths about the safety and efficiency of using elderberry for food and medicine. Check out the explanation behind these myths, and the safety protocols for working with elderberry.
But don’t save this elderberry dessert just for the sick room. Serve this elderberry dessert up often. It’s easy to make, kid-pleasing, and pretty enough for company.
This recipe uses dried elderberries, but if you have frozen or fresh elderberries or even elderberry juice you can use those instead of making an elderberry decoction. Simply substitute 2 cups of elderberry juice for the dried elderberries and 3 cups of water.
Make Flu-Busting Elderberry Gelatin Shots That are Pretty Enough for Company
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: n/a
- Category: Dessert
- Method: n/a
- Cuisine: n/a
Description
Elderberry Gelatin “shots” that are perfect for your next dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 cup elderberries, dried
- 3 cups of water
- 4 tbsp. kosher gelatin
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup Heavy Cream or 2 cups of Prepared Whipped Cream
- 2 cups blueberries, frozen
Instructions
Make the Elderberry decoction
- In a 1 ½ quart saucepan combine elderberries and water.
- Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until elderberries are soft and the liquid has been reduced to 2 cups.
- Strain the elderberries out of the liquid, retaining the liquid. It should be 2 cups.
Making the Gelatin
- Put aside ½ cup of elderberry decoction in a separate 2 cup glass measuring cup to cool. Keep the other 1 ½ cups warm in the saucepan on the stove, over low heat.
- Once the 1/2 cup of elderberry decoction has cooled, add the gelatin to the measuring cup. Soften the gelatin in the cold liquid until the gelatin blooms. About 3 minutes.
- Stir the hot elderberry decoction into the glass measuring cup and fully combine with gelatin. Add honey and stir until the honey is fully dissolved.
- Spray the Wilton Shot Glass Mold with non-stick cooking spray. Place the mold on a baking sheet or a tray. Pour the elderberry – gelatin mixture into the mold. Cover the mold with plastic wrap or a beewax cloth wrap. Place the mold on the tray in the fridge. Chill for 4 to 6 hours or over night. until the gelatin is firm. Do not freeze.
- Before serving unmold the gelatin from the mold. The Shot Glass Mold will turn inside out to make unmolding easier. If the gelatin seems to be sticking, run the mold upside-down under warm water to loosen the gelatin from the mold.
Whipping Cream
- Whip 1 cup of heavy cream using a whisk or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer. You’ll have 2 cups of prepared whipped cream. See detailed instruction for making whipped cream here.
- Place whipped cream in a piping bag with a large star tip.
Assembly
- Place the completed gelatin molds on a serving tray. Fill each mold with 2 tablespoons of frozen blue-berries. Pipe whipped cream into the top of each elderberry gelatin shot glass.
- Place elderberry shot glasses on individual plates. Garnish with additional blue berries.
- The gelatin shots will melt in a very warm room, so keep them refrigerated until the start of the meal.
- If you are making them ahead, store the gelatin shot glasses separately from the blueberries and whipped cream and assemble just before serving them. They can be made ahead and kept in an air tight container, in the fridge for up to a week before serving. Or unmold them and put them in an air tight container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw them at room temperature 2 hours before serving.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried elderberries
- 3 cups of water
- 4 tbsp. kosher gelatin (This is the one I use)
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup Heavy Cream or 2 cups of Prepared Whipped Cream
- 2 cups frozen blueberries
Equipment:
Method:
If you are starting this recipe with elderberry juice skip to the “Make elderberry gelatin” section of the recipe, below.
Make an elderberry decoction:
- In a 1 ½ quart saucepan combine elderberries and water.
- Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, until elderberries are soft and the liquid has been reduced to 2 cups.
- Strain the elderberries out of the liquid, retaining the liquid. It should be 2 cups.
Make elderberry gelatin
- Put aside ½ cup of elderberry decoction in a separate 2 cup glass measuring cup to cool. Keep the other 1 ½ cups warm in the saucepan on the stove, over low heat.
- Once the 1/2 cup of elderberry decoction has cooled, add the gelatin to the measuring cup. Soften the gelatin in the cold liquid until the gelatin blooms. About 3 minutes.
- Stir the hot elderberry decoction into the glass measuring cup and fully combine with gelatin. Add honey and stir until the honey is fully dissolved.
- Spray the Wilton Shot Glass Mold with non-stick cooking spray. Place the mold on a baking sheet or a tray. Pour the elderberry – gelatin mixture into the mold. Cover the mold with plastic wrap or a beeswax cloth wrap. Place the mold on the tray in the fridge. Chill for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. until the gelatin is firm. Do not freeze.
- Before serving unmold the gelatin from the mold. The Shot Glass Mold will turn inside out to make unmolding easier. If the gelatin seems to be sticking, run the mold upside-down under warm water to loosen the gelatin from the mold.
Make Whipped Cream
- Whip 1 cup of heavy cream using a whisk or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer. You’ll have 2 cups of prepared whipped cream. See detailed instructions for making whipped cream here.
- Place whipped cream in a piping bag with a large star tip.
Assemble the Elderberry Shots
- Place the completed gelatin molds on a serving tray. Fill each mold with 2 tablespoons of frozen blueberries. Pipe whipped cream into the top of each elderberry gelatin shot glass.
- Place elderberry shot glasses on individual plates. Garnish with additional blueberries.
- The gelatin shots will melt in a very warm room, so keep them refrigerated until the start of the meal.
- If you are making them ahead, store the gelatin shot glasses separately from the blueberries and whipped cream and assemble them just before serving them. They can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to a week before serving. Or unmold them and put them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw them at room temperature 2 hours before serving.
Learn more:
Elderberries for flu-busting power
Download the Free Printable Elderberry Materia Medica
Get your elderberry recipes and materia medica
About the Wilton Mold
I chose the Wilton Shot Glass Gelatin Mold because unlike the other molds of this kind, this one is safe to use in the oven, in the fridge, and the freezer. Many of the silicone molds are fine for freezer use but should not be put in the oven.
The Wilton website includes recipes for cookie cups, ice cups, gelatin cups, chocolate cups, and even candy cups.
Fill the resulting cup with mousse, whipped cream, fruit, or even liquids like vodka, fruit juice, or pop. The mold is a catalyst for your creativity. Don’t have any elderberries? Substitute 2 cups of fruit juice, herbal tea, or vegetable juice for the elderberry juice called for in this recipe. But come back here when the elderberries are in season.
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I’m confused. So do you serve the shots in the molds or unmmolded? You describe unmolding them, and then describe filling with blueberries & piping whipped cream on top. But the picture looks like the whipped cream is on what would be the jello and only a sprinkle of blueberries around the jello.
I unmolded them. Filled the cups with some berries then piped whipped cream on top and sprinkled more berries for serving.
Do you have a source for dried elderberries?