Festive Fourth of July Jelly Vodka Shots

How do you celebrate an American holiday like Fourth of July in Poland?

With Polish vodka, of course!

Well, I do have a lot of the traditional foods prepared for our expat 4^th of July BBQ tonight such as: hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, tortilla chips and my homemade Mexican salsa, chips with Ranch dressing, pasta salad, broccoli salad and 2 dozen colorful vanilla cupcakes. Why not add an adult beverage that you can slurp such as Red, White and Blue Jelly (Jello) shots?

I’m sure our American, Australian, Brazilian and Polish-American friends will appreciate the effort and tastiness of these small jiggly cubes.

Unfortunately, my “blue” layer turned more purple because I used blueberries to make that layer instead of neon blue boxed Jello, which we don’t have here in Poland.

If you want to replicate these at home, you need to plan on at least 8 hours so you have time to allow each layer to set. I did the process over two days just to be on the same side. If you want to give it a go, here’s the recipe I adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen. I think it would be fun to adjust the colors for other holidays too!

Wishing all my American readers at home and abroad a very Happy Fourth of July as well!

Cheers, Joy

Fourth of July jelly shots served on my Polish pottery.

Red, White and Blue Jelly Vodka Shots

Blueberry Layer:

8          oz.                   hot water

2          cups                 Polish wild blueberries or normal blueberries

8          oz.                   (Polish) vodka

4          Tablespoons    fresh lemon juice

4          Tablespoons    honey

6          each                 silver gelatin sheets, bloomed, or 1 packet of Knox unflavored gelatin (If you want to use sheet vs. powdered gelatin, please read this helpful conversion gelatin chart.)

In a small pot, heat the water, lemon juice, honey and blueberries together. Let steep about 20 minutes off the burner.

Strain the blueberries, pressing down to keep all the blueberry juice.

Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bloomed gelatin sheets and vodka.

In a small, glass baking dish (9-inch by 9-inch), pour a few drops of cooking oil and wipe out with a paper towel, coating the entire vessel with the barest layer. I placed and smoothed out a layer of plastic wrap on top of this.

Then, pour in the blueberry mixture in and set to chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, making certain it is level.

White layer:

(NOTE: I only used half of this mixture in my pan because it yielded too much.)

8          oz.                   lemon infused vodka

6          ea.                    lemon zest peeled from 6 lemons
6.5       oz.                   fresh lemon juice
1/2       cup (110g.)      sugar
12        each                 silver gelatin sheets, bloomed
8          oz.                   hot water

Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the lemon zest from 6 lemons. Set aside in a bowl with the lemon juice and vodka. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

After 2 hours, strain the lemon mixture.

Heat the water and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.

Then, whisk in the lemon infused vodka and the bloomed gelatin, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved.

Carefully, pour (ONLY HALF) the lemon jelly mixture over the blueberry layer. Place the pan back in the refrigerator, again checking for levelness. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Red layer:

1          box                  strawberry (or any kind of red color) Jello (NOTE: The Polish brand of gelatin worked perfectly for this for me.)

8          oz.                   (Polish) vodka 

8          oz.                   hot water        

6          each                 silver gelatin sheets, bloomed, or 1 packet of Knox unflavored gelatin

Heat the water. Stir in the strawberry jello mix, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Then, whisk in the gelatin sheets and vodka.

Carefully, pour the red jelly mixture over the white layer. Place the pan back in the refrigerator, again checking for levelness. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, you can simply pull up the plastic wrap out of the baking pan and place the layered jelly on a cutting board.

Use a very sharp knife and cut the jelly into squares, or use a cookie cutter for shapes. I cut my jelly into 1 ¼-inch cubes, so my tray yielded about 24 jelly cubes. You will end up with some scraps if you don’t use the side pieces.

Garnish with a blueberry or raspberry.

Slurp and enjoy!

An alcohol-free jelly dessert for the kiddos that are coming to our party.
Topped with sweetened whipped cream.

And of course, I had to bake something too. Vanilla cupcakes with Italian buttercream frosting.

Read More

Mini Muffins Made with Wild Polish Blueberries

It’s just too hot to cook.

This week is the hottest week yet we’ve experienced in Warsaw with near record highs of 33 and 35C (91-95 F). Living without AC like most Poles means sleeping is quite uncomfortable, so we’re hightailing it to a hotel for the next two nights. Yesterday, I even leisurely strolled the aisles in a grocery store for nearly an hour because it was the coolest place I could find.

But last week, when temperatures weren’t near as hot, I baked a batch of mini muffins with Polish wild blueberries for hubby to take to work for our Turkish friend’s final week in Poland.

Wild blueberries have been in season for nearly two months, and I cannot get enough of them! They are much smaller than cultivated varieties and have a distinct, almost winey, sweet flavor. I’ve eaten handfuls of the wild blueberries just by themselves as well in cereal, yogurt and in my Independence Day Berry Cobbler. I even made a batch of blueberry-ginger jam and blueberry cheesecake ice cream.

Sadly, the wild blueberries at Hala Mirowska seem to be disappearing, and normal-sized blueberries have replaced them. Luckily, I stashed away a kilo or two of the wild blueberries in the freezer so I can make another batch of these muffins when our Istanbul friends arrive next month.

These muffins are a combination of lemon-poppy seed and blueberry – a perfect pairing! Hope you enjoy them as much as our friend, Ozerk, did!

Smacznego! (Bon appétit in Polish)

Did you know that now you can subscribe to My Traveling Joys through this FeedBurner?

Mini Muffins with Wild Polish Blueberries

Yields: 48 mini muffins

Ingredients:

1 ¾      c.         all-purpose flour

½         c.         granulated sugar

2          tsp.      baking powder

¼         tsp.      salt

1          ea.        lemon zest, freshly grated

1          tsp.      poppy seeds

1          ea.        large egg, beaten

¾         c.         milk

¼         c.         sunflower or vegetable oil

1          c.         fresh or frozen wild blueberries

1.         Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Also, line mini muffin pans with paper baking cups.

2.         In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds.

3.         Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

4.         In a second bowl, mix together the egg, milk and oil. Add this mixture into the well of the previous bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir just until moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

5.         Lastly, fold in the wild blueberries. If you are using frozen, I like to toss them with a little flour to help prevent them from sticking together.

6.         Using a spoon, fill the paper cups about 2/3s of the way full. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Optional: sprinkle a bit of raw sugar on top of the muffins before baking.

7.         Of course, you also can bake these muffins in standard-sized baking cups. Just increase the baking time by five minutes or bake the muffins until lightly golden on top. 

Read More

Independence Day Berry Cobbler

Celebrating 4^th of July Abroad – Year 3

Today is an exciting day as my in-laws will be arriving here in Warsaw!

It’s also the Fourth of July back in the U.S.A.; and, this is the first time we’ll be celebrating with family since we moved abroad in 2010.

While most Americans will be grilling hamburgers outside today, I will be introducing my in-laws to Polish pierogies and Zywiec Beer. We’ll be strolling through the cobblestone streets of Old Town Square and admiring the Royal Castle.

It certainly won’t be a traditional Fourth of July by any means, but I did make a festive dessert for the occasion.

Since the Polish markets are bursting with berries right now, I bought a bunch of blueberries and ruby red raspberries to make my all-time favorite summer cobbler. This is a recipe I’ve used for several years with all kinds of fruit.

What's nice about this dessert is that you can use this recipe year-round with whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand such as rhubarb, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, etc.

I fancied up my traditional cobbler with an idea I “borrowed” from Pinterest. (You can find me pinning away all things Polish and Turkish and favorite recipes here on Pinterest.) When you roll out your cobbler dough, cut out various star shapes and place them on top of your fruit.

Voilà! You instantly have a festive Fourth of July berry cobbler!

Hope all my American friends, wherever you may be, have a fun and safe Fourth of July!

Smacznego! (Bon appétit in Polish)

Seasonal Fruit Cobbler

Ingredients:

1          kilo.     (about 7 c.)      raspberries and blueberries (or whatever fruit combination you prefer)

2          Tablespoons                corn starch

110      g.         (1/2 c.)             granulated sugar

Cobbler Dough:

220      g.         (1 2/3 c.)          all-purpose flour

55        g.         (1/4 c.)             granulated sugar (plus a little more for sprinkling on top)

1 1/2    teaspoon                      baking powder

1/2       teaspoon                      salt

70        g.         (5 T.)               cold butter, cut into small pieces

120      ml.       (1/2 c.)             whole milk (plus a little more for brushing on top the dough.)

Preheat the oven to 200 C.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the fruit, and toss to coat.

Transfer the fruit mixture to a medium-sized glass baking dish (about 20 cm by 26 cm or a standard 9"x13" pan) with sides that are about 5 cm. deep.

Set aside while making the cobbler dough.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter, using your fingertips (or paddle attachment), rub the butter together with the dry ingredients until a coarse meal forms. Then add the milk. Mix just until the ingredients come together.

Gather the dough together into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead 5 or 6 times.

Then, roll the dough about 12 mm thick. Using star cookie cutters, cut out stars. Arrange the dough stars on top of the fruit. Brush the tops with milk and then sprinkle granulated sugar or raw sugar on top.

 

Here is the unbaked cobbler sprinkled with raw sugar.

 Bake the cobbler until the fruit is bubbling and the cobbler dough is cooked through and a golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

I like to serve my cobbler while still fairly hot/warm with ice cream.

The cobbler can be made 4 hours or so in advance and then rewarmed as needed. (NOTE: this time, I made the cobbler the night before and it seems just fine too.)

Read More

Celebrating 4th of July Abroad - Year 2 in Istanbul

Yesterday was just a normal day in Istanbul.

While friends and family members in the U.S. celebrated 4th of July with fireworks and BBQs, my husband worked a 12-hour day, and I hosted a patriotic lunch with several American friends at our apartment.

As with every holiday abroad as an expat, we make the most of it. Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, is the only one where I really miss being in the U.S. But I've learned to adapt and I enjoy spending time celebrating American traditions with my new friends abroad. (Here is last year's post about celebrating 4th of July in Istanbul.)

So yesterday, I prepared hamburgers with all the fixings, a ranch dip with yogurt, sangria and an old-fashioned Jell-O "poke cake." (I also shared my treasured baklava from Gaziantep.)  My friends, met through the American Women of Istanbul group, brought deviled eggs, a carrot salad, three kinds of potato salad, chicken salad and chocolate chip bars.

Our 4th of July buffet spread at my apartment yesterday.

I've had pudding poke cakes while growing up in the U.S., but I've never had a Jell-O poke cake. Apparently, this type of cake was invented in 1969 as a way to increase Jell-O sales. The basic recipe usually entails baking a boxed cake mix in a 9"x13"cake pan, poking holes in the baked cake, pouring a Jell-O mixture on top, and later topping it with whipped cream.

Well, I'd been saving my imported blueberries for this holiday and decided to make a patriotic poke cake with a bit of Turkish flair of course. The cake layers ended up looking more pinkish and purplish with white frosting versus red, white and blue, but we ate it anyway!

(NOTE: Blueberries are nearly impossible to come by in Turkey without paying an arm and a leg for a pint. Feel free to substitute another fruit to make a colorful layer.)

Luckily, I saved a piece of cake for hubby and grilled a fresh burger for him when he finally got home from work.

Burgers at home in Istanbul. 

Being with friends and loved ones is all that really matters when you celebrate a holiday abroad.

Did any other expats celebrate 4th of July yesterday?

Afiyet olsun!

I quickly took a photo of my Red, White and Blue Poke Cake before it got devoured.
The "pokes" didn't quite turn out as nice as I had hoped, but you get the general idea of the colored layers.

Red, White and Blue Poke Cake (Turkish Style)

Ingredients:

2          (9-inch/22 cm.)            baked, round white cakes, completely cooled and still in pans (I made my cake from scratch, but a boxed cake mix would work as well.)

4          c.                     lightly sweetened whipped cream (I whipped up 2 packages of Dr. Oetker Krem Santi with whole milk to keep it simple.)

1          pkg.                 Turkish or regular strawberry-flavored Jello-O (made according to boxed directions)

For Blueberry Syrup Layer:

1          c.                     blueberries

3/4       c.                     water

2          T.                     sugar

In a small saucepan, cook above ingredients together over medium low heat until blueberries are softened.

Stain the fruit, if you desire, discarding the solids. I didn't because I wanted the blueberries.

Then, add 2 Tablespoons of prepared gelatin. Let the mixture cool down slightly.

For Strawberry or Cherry Syrup Layer:

1 1/2    c.                     strawberries or cherries (I couldn't find strawberries so I used frozen sour cherries instead.)

1/2       c.                     water

2          T.                     sugar

In a small saucepan, cook above ingredients together over medium low heat until strawberries/cherries are softened.

Stain the fruit, discarding the solids.

Then, add 2 Tablespoons of prepared gelatin. Let the mixture cool down slightly.

Fruit syrups and Turkish gelatin ready to be used for the cake.

To assemble:

Using a skewer or kebab stick, poke 25 holes in the top of each cake, twisting slightly to make the holes bigger.

Pour the cooled blueberry syrup over one cake and the red fruit syrup over the second cake. Cover cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the gelatin is set, about 3 hours or overnight.

Run a knife along the interior of the cakes. Flip the cakes over onto a wire rack or plate.

Place the blueberry layer on the bottom of a plate/cardboard cake circle, top with whipped cream. Place the strawberry/cherry layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of cake.

Let the cake set up for a bit in the refrigerator and then serve.

Read More