Spoonable Bloody Marys

In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup of the tomato juice and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Set the saucepan over moderate heat and stir until the juice is warm and the gelatin has dissolved completely, about 4 minutes; do not let the juice get too hot. Pour the juice into a glass measuring cup and stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of tomato juice and the vodka. Season with salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce, then pour into whiskey tumblers. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight. In a blender, puree the celery with the lemon juice. Strain the puree through a fine sieve and season with salt. Cover the celery juice and refrigerate. In a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the hot sauce, season with salt and whip until firm. Cover and refrigerate. Add 2 tablespoons of the celery juice to each glass of tomato jelly. Top with heaping teaspoons of the hot pepper cream and the shredded basil. Serve with small spoons.