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Recipe: Homemade Gumdrops: Peach Jelly Chews, Apple-Cranberry Jelly Chews, Pineapple Jelly Chews, Raspberry-Cranberry Jelly Chews

Desserts - Candy, Chocolate
Homemade Gumdrops: Peach Jelly Chews, Apple-Cranberry Jelly Chews, Pineapple Jelly Chews, Raspberry-Cranberry Jelly Chews

The secret to the vibrant, chewy character of these fresh candies is real fruit: pure peach, mingled berries, and pineapple with a ginger kick. Simmer the pureed fruit with sugar and gelatin until it's concentrated into a thick paste. Let the paste stand long enough for the surface to feel only slightly tacky to touch; gelatin helps the mixture hold its shape. Coat the cut candies with sugar for sparkle and to keep the pieces from sticking together. The concept may be adult, but the results suit all who are young of heart. - E.J.

PEACH JELLY CHEWS
MAKES: 49 pieces

Notes: If pan is narrower than suggested, mixture cooks longer and is darker in color. Use a pan with a light interior so you can see color changes that indicate doneness.

Salad oil
2 packages (1 lb. each) frozen unsweetened sliced peaches
About 3 3/4 cups sugar
3 envelopes (2 tablespoons total) unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Oil an 8- or 9-inch square metal pan.

2. In a 6- to 8-quart pan, preferably 11 inches wide, combine peaches and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until fruit mashes easily, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Whirl fruit mixture in a blender or food processor, a portion at a time, until smoothly pureed. Return to pan.

4. In a bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups sugar with the gelatin. Add to fruit mixture.

5. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Stir and boil 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir often until mixture is thick enough to leave a trail when the spoon is drawn across the pan bottom and juices in the trail are just beginning to turn a darker gold, 25 to 35 minutes. At once, remove from heat.

6. Stir lemon peel and lemon juice into peach mixture, then scrape mixture into the oiled 8- or 9-inch square pan. Let candy dry, uncovered, for 16 to 24 hours; it should feel firm and not sticky when touched.

7. On a board, coat a 10-inch square area with about 1/4 cup sugar. Invert pan to release candy onto sugar; if it sticks, use a metal spatula, dipped in sugar, to ease from pan. With a long, sharp knife, dipped in sugar to prevent sticking, cut candy into 49 equal pieces (make 6 cuts lengthwise and 6 crosswise). Coat each piece with sugar:

8. Serve candies, or arrange in a container with plastic wrap between layers and seal airtight. Store up to 1 month at room temperature.

APPLE-CRANBERRY JELLY CHEWS

Rinse 1 3/4 pounds Granny Smith apples and cut into wedges; discard stems; don't core or peel.

Sort 2 cups (1/2 lb.) fresh or frozen cranberries, discarding bruised and decayed fruit. Rinse and drain cranberries.

Follow directions for peach jelly chews (preceding), but instead of peaches, use apples and cranberries.

Rub pureed fruit (step 3) through a fine strainer back into pan, pressing firmly to extract liquid; discard residue.

Reduce sugar in fruit mixture (step 4) to 3 cups.

The cooking time (step 5) is 15 to 25 minutes.

PINEAPPLE JELLY CHEWS

Cut 2 peeled cored pineapples (3 lb. total) into 2-inch chunks (7 cups total). Rinse and coarsely chop 1/2 pound fresh ginger (1 1/2 cups).

Follow directions for peach jelly chews (at left), but instead of peaches, use the pineapple and ginger. Omit lemon peel.

Simmer (step 2) until pineapple breaks easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.

Rub puree (step 3) through a fine strainer back into pan, pressing firmly to extract liquid; discard residue.

Reduce sugar in fruit mixture (step 4) to 3 cups, and increase unflavored gelatin to 6 envelopes (4 2/3 tablespoons).

Increase lemon juice to 1/3 cup and stir into uncooked pureed mixture (step 4).

The cooking time (step 5) is 20 to 30 minutes.

RASPBERRY-CRANBERRY JELLY CHEWS

In a bowl, thaw 6 cups frozen sweetened raspberries, saving juice. Rub raspberries and juice through a fine strainer into another bowl; discard residue.

Sort 2 cups (1/2 lb.) fresh or frozen cranberries, discarding bruised and decayed fruit. Rinse and drain cranberries.

Follow directions for peach jelly chews, but instead of peaches, use strained raspberries and whole cranberries. Simmer (step 2) until cranberries are soft when pressed, 3 to 5 minutes. Omit lemon peel and lemon juice.

Reduce sugar in fruit mixture (step 4) to 3 cups and increase unflavored gelatin to 5 envelopes (3 2/3 tablespoons total).

The cooking time (step 5) is 15 to 20 minutes.

Source: Linda Lau Anusasananan
Sunset Magazine, December, 1999


MsgID: 215163
Shared by: Betsy at Recipelink.com
Board: Holiday Cooking and Baking at Recipelink.com
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