In the spirit of the plethora of Kentucky Derby parties that were happening this past Saturday, I thought that a Mint Julep jello may be in order.  I don’t care much for bourbon and thought rum would make a sweeter substitute. However a Mint Julep with rum rather than bourbon is a Mojito, so I just went ahead and made a Mojito Jello. This mold calls for a syrup of simmered mint leaves and sugar with white rum, lime juice, and a bit of tonic to give it some fun bubbles. The recipe for this appears in my new book Hello Jell-O!.

1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons (2 envelopes) of unflavored gelatin powder
1 cup tonic
3/4 cup rum
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 or 5 fresh mint leaves for garnish

In a saucepan, bring mint leaves, sugar, and 1cup of the water to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Strain out mint leaves.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, sprinkle gelatin evenly over 1/2 cup of the cold water and allow the gelatin to absorb the water for two minutes. Stir in boiling water and sugar mixture until gelatin is fully dissolved.  Allow to cool and stir in tonic, rum, and lime juice. Refrigerate until thickened.  Stir thickened gelatin to create bubbles.  Spoon a small amount into a 3-cup mold. Arrange the mint leaves for garnish in a pattern over the gelatin in the mold and gently spoon the remaining gelatin into the mold. Refrigerate until firm. Unmold and serve.

_{Photo by Angie Cao from Hello, Jell-o! 50+ Inventive Recipes for Gelatin Treats and Jiggly Sweets}