Knox Blox Spiders

Many years ago, I saw a video about making jelly flowers with spoons and syringes, and someone showed how you can use similar techniques to make other designs, like trees and animals and even bugs. I thought it was so cool- it looked like one of those paperweights with a bug in it, but it was edible! However, when I tried it I did not like how it tasted- we like a little more sugar than we probably ought to... I also found it difficult to make anything look good; it takes quite a bit of skill, so without investing a good amount of time, I knew I wasn't going to be able to make this desert work. Until one day when I was playing with my moms old Thingmaker Creepy Crawlers (honestly one of the coolest toys ever, I really wish Mattel would start making them again) and the idea came to me that I could use those for the shapes instead of trying to cut the delicate gelatin by hand. It worked great! The end result looked so real, and this time, instead of using unflavored gelatin with a little bit of sugar like the original recipe, we made it out of Knox Blox, which uses juice and is therefore much tastier. Unfortunately, my mom moved across the country and I do not have access to her creepy crawlers, but you might not have any either, so I came up with an alternative that is more readily available!

You will need unflavored gelatin. Any brand works, but Knox brand conveniently has the recipe we will be using printed on the box.

4-8 small bowls, rounded cups, or ramekins. Glass or clear plastic are best so you can see what you are doing. I got mine at the dollar store in a 4 pack

Clear juice of your choice. I used white grape the first time because it is the clearest and will look the most like glass or resin when finished, but it didn't taste great. The next time, I used white grape peach, and it was much better and only slightly darker in color.

1 can of evaporated milk

1 package of dark colored Jello, grape or black cherry are best. You can go with whatever flavor/color you want, really, but the darker ones look better I think.

Plastic spider rings. I also got these from the dollar store in a 10 pack. You don't have to do spiders, any shape will work as long as it is a shape that will pop out of a mold easily.

Cooking spray

Eye dropper, straw, or a very steady hand.

Start out by thoroughly washing your bowls and spiders and setting them out to dry. Then, make the 'resin' by following the recipe for Knox Blox, but reducing it for a smaller batch(unless you plan to make a lot of these). Dissolve 2 packets of gelatin in 1/2 cup cold juice for a minute or so, and then add 1 1/2 cups very hot juice and stir until it is dissolved. carefully pour it into the individual cups and put them into the refrigerator to cool.

while it is cooling down, lightly coat your spiders with cooking spray so they will come back out without damaging the delicate gelatin and ruining the image.

once the gelatin has cooled and has started to harden a little, about 30 minutes, carefully place the spiders face down into the gelatin, keeping them centered if you can. If the spiders sink, pull them out, let it harden a little longer, and try again until they only sink in enough to make an impression.

Put them back into the fridge to finish hardening up, about another hour or so.

Once the gelatin is completely solid, carefully remove the spiders and set aside. Add one tablespoon of Jello powder to 1 1/2 tablespoons of boiling water and stir to dissolve. Then add 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk and stir well. For this next part, you will need to work quickly because the Jello sets up kind of fast, and, unlike the clear gelatin, you can't simply warm it back up- the milk will clump up. Using the eye dropper or straw(using your finger at the top as a stopper to hold the Jello in) carefully drip the Jello into the cavity left by the plastic spiders until it is level with the clear gelatin. Place them back into the fridge to harden for another hour or so.

To remove your creepy creations and fully enjoy them, you will need to slightly melt just the outside layer so it will come out of the cups. The easiest way to do this is to get a big bowl of very hot water, set them in it, one at a time, and being careful not to get water inside the cups. Leave the cup in for 10 to 20 seconds, then remove and quickly place upside-down and gently shake it until the gelatin falls out. It will be a bit sticky, so be sure to set it onto whatever surface you plan to serve it from, I used cupcake papers, but small plates would work fine, too.

If the gelatin doesn't come out easily, don't force it, it will almost always tear. Instead, place it back into the water for a few more seconds and try again.

Also, make sure to reheat your water periodically if you are working with a big batch.

This process goes more smoothly if you allow the gelatin to warm up to room temperature first.

Do not leave the gelatin in the hot water too long, it will dissolve the whole thing!

I tried spraying the cups with cooking spray to make them easier to remove, but it did not work, so just be patient with the hot water method.

Use the smallest, roundest cups/bowls you can find. It will look more realistic, be easier to work with, and will not result in a desert that ends up getting wasted- because most people don't want to eat a giant bowl of gelatin; a little bit goes a long way.

And that's it! This was pretty fun to make and the wow factor was exactly what I was looking for from my guests; a couple kids asked if they were real and even some of the adults did a doubletake. Thanks for reading and enjoy!