Top Tips for Making Shot Glass Desserts

Drinking shots is great fun, albeit a bit quick sometimes but tend only to be enjoyed for a short period of time. A few rounds when everyone first arrives at the party or as a special goodnight when everyone is leaving is common, but most people don’t drink shots all night. So what else can you do to use those gorgeous little glasses and impress your guests with your creativity at the same time? Why not make some mini shot glass desserts instead?

 Banoffee and Pecan Shots

The combination of banana and toffee, or banoffee, is popular with most people and adding pecans to it gives an extra dimension.

Ingredients

· 397g condensed milk (tin)

· 100g butter

· 150g caster sugar

· 100g pecan nuts

· 50g brown sugar

· 2 large, ripe bananas

· 250ml double cream

· 125g mascarpone cheese

· 2 crunchie bars

· Digestive biscuits

Method

To make your toffee, boil the sealed tin of milk in a large pan of water for two to two and half hours, ensuring that the water always covers the tin completely. Remove after the time and leave to cool.

Melt half of the butter with caster sugar over a medium heat until bubbling and golden brown. Add the pecan nuts and mix them around until covered in the mixture then leave them to cool on silicone paper for later.

Crush the digestive biscuits in a bowl and add the rest of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar then spoon the mixture into the bottom of the shot glasses. Place them in the fridge to set.

Open the condensed milk and spoon the toffee over the biscuit base then add the sliced banana. Whip the double cream with the mascarpone cheese and add over the banana then chop the crunchie bars into small pieces and push into the cream. Top off with the caramelised pecan nuts and serve.

Champagne Sorbet

There’s something classy about anything that involves champagne and the added advantage is that you can freeze this mixture and the alcohol will stop it from going too hard. It will also work with sparkling wine, a sweet dessert wine or even make use a cocktail flavouring such as lime and vodka or rum and fresh mint.

Ingredients

· 225g granulated sugar

· Juice of 1 lemon

· 300ml champagne or other alcohol

Method

Put the sugar into a pan with 500ml of cold water and bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Simmer this for around 10 minutes then leave to cool.

Add the lemon juice and champagne then stir well. Place it into an ice cream maker and churn until nearly frozen then put in the freezer overnight. If you don’t have an ice cream making, freeze for 8 hours, whisking with a fork to break up the ice crystal every few hours.

Scoop out of the container straight from the freezer and add to the shot glasses then decorate with a little gold edible leaf to finish.

Conclusion

The great thing about desserts in a shot glass is that they are small so are perfect for a whole range of occasions. Nearly any dessert can be miniaturised into a shot glass so tiny trifles or cheesecakes are simple while dainty portions of sorbet or ice cream give just a hint of sweetness.

Recipe Links: http://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/banoffee-and-pecan-shots

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2074500/Christmas-recipes-Simple-champagne-sorbet.html