Episode 5: Champagne Jelly Flutes

"Hello everybody and welcome back to the last episode of our show cooking with Astrid and Hiccup. I'm Hiccup and this is my lovely co-host and girlfriend Astrid." Hiccup introduces as he and Astrid take the stage arm in arm.

"Hello everybody." Astrid said in a slightly monotone voice.

"Astrid what's the matter?" Hiccup asked looking concerned.

"I just realized that I didn't get to do much with my knives." Astrid now wails. "The little darlings are feeling neglected!"

"Now now Astrid." Hiccup tries to reassure. "I'm sure we could do something you want with your knives before we present the recipe."

As Hiccup said this both the crew and the audience blanch.

"Really Hiccup!" Astrid said excitedly.

"Yeah sure." Hiccup answered now looking a bit nervous.

"You wait right here babe while I go get my babies and the Wheel of Death!" Astrid shouts as she skips backstage.

"Wheel of Death! What Wheel of Death?!" Hiccup yells now looking panicked.

Hiccup looks questioningly at the others who are trying to avoid eye contact. "Guys, really!"

"Hey, you started it cuz." Snotlout comments. "The producer went through all that trouble to keep sharp pointy objects out of Astrid's reach and look what you do!"

Astrid came back on stage before Hiccup could comment. She was holding a large bag while two nervous looking stagehands wheeled in a giant wooden wheel with a large target painted on it.

"Eh…Astrid?" Hiccup asked as Astrid approached him with a smile. She guided Hiccup over to the wheel, and before Hiccup knew what was happening he found himself secured to the large target board.

"Astrid!" Hiccup yelped as the wheel started spinning. "What are you doing?!"

"I've always wanted to try knife throwing." Astrid stated taking out various sorts of knives.

"Wait! You mean you've never done this before!" Hiccup shrieked. "Guys a little help here!" Hiccup then yelled.

"Dude you're on your own with this." Snotlout stated.

"I knew he was secretly a masochist." Tuffnut said a little louder than was necessary.

"I'm not a masochist!" Hiccup yelled as he continued spinning.

"Cuz, you are letting your girlfriend throw knives at you." Snotlout argued. "I think the term masochist qualifies."

"Alrighty Hiccup." Astrid chirped happily as she held up her knife selection. "Are you ready?"

"I don't think I'll ever be." Hiccup muttered as Astrid threw the first knife.

The audience covered their eyes for most of the time as the sounds of knives hitting the wooden wheel could be heard along with Hiccup's yelps.

After 15 minutes Astrid was satisfied and let Hiccup down. Hiccup was wobbling on his feet and when he turned to look at the giant target he nearly fainted.

The two stagehands rolled the giant prop off stage and Astrid guided Hiccup behind the counter. "Hiccup you were fantastic." She gushed. "Maybe we should make this our opening act."

"NOOO!" Hiccup shouted. "NONONONONOOOOOO!"

This caused Astrid to pout and Hiccup to say "Maybe". The audience couldn't help but groan at that. Mutters of "masochist" now filled the studio.

"Let's just do this recipe." Hiccup said as he glared at the audience and crew.

"Ah yes. We'll be making Champagne jelly flutes today." Astrid said happily. "For special equipment we'll need eight 8-ounce Champagne flutes."

"The ingredients we'll be using this time are three 1/4-ounce packets unflavored powdered gelatin, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 bottle dry sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Prosecco, chilled, 2 cups sparkling pale white grape juice, chilled, 8 raspberries, 1 tablespoon half-and-half." Hiccup summed up while gesturing towards the ingredients on the counter.

"First we prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set an 8-cup glass spouted measuring cup inside of it. Put eight 8-ounce Champagne flutes in the refrigerator to chill." Hiccup explained.

"Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over 2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan. Let sit until the gelatin softens which would take about 5 minutes. It should become translucent. Add the sugar then cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until the sugar and gelatin dissolve completely, about 5 minutes, don't let the liquid come to a boil. Pour the gelatin mixture into the prepared measuring cup over the ice bath, stirring the mixture a few times until it feels lukewarm. Stir in the sparkling wine and grape juice. Pour 1/2 cup of the sparkling wine mixture into a small bowl then neatly pour the remaining mixture into the 8 flutes." Hiccup said as Astrid demonstrated.

"Refrigerate the flutes and the reserved mixture in the bowl for 30 minutes. Gently push a raspberry down into the center of each flute with a skewer, letting some gelatin cover it, until the raspberry is held in place." Hiccup said this while Astrid was meticulously pushing raspberries in flutes.

"Add the half-and-half to the reserved gelatin mixture in the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture looks like foam. Spoon the foam on top of each flute of jelly. Return the flutes to the refrigerator and chill until the gelatin sets completely, about 2 hours." Hiccup stated as he placed the foam on top and brought the flutes to the fridge. Hiccup then came back with a previously made version to how the audience.

"And that ladies, gentleman, and dragons brings us to the conclusion of this episode." Hiccup stated handing each of the crew a flute while servers handed flutes to the audience.

"We wish you all the best in the new year." Astrid said as she came to stand next to Hiccup.

"Oh that's right Astrid. I forgot to ask." Hiccup casually said as Astrid had just plopped the berry in her mouth. "Would you like to move in with me?"

Astrid nearly choked at the question but managed to eat the berry. She then turned to Hiccup and said "Of course" and then proceeded to kiss any rational thought out of him.

Producer's note: (Looking over proposal for knife throwing opening scenes)

Hiccup: (Begging) "Please! Don't approve it."

Producer: "It actually seems quite popular."

Hiccup: "I'll make you any dish you want for a month!"

Producer: "Well who can say no to food. Deal."