Fruit Jellies
Submitted by taurus_baby84
Old-fashioned raspberry fruit jellies, homemade candy made from fresh fruit juice boiled with sugar, set with gelatine and rolled in fine sugar. Soft, jewel-bright squares with a real fruit tang.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
60 minThese are proper old-fashioned sweets, the jewel-bright fruit jellies that turn up in tins at Christmas, made entirely from real fruit. You start by coaxing the juice out of fresh raspberries, crushing and gently warming the fruit before straining it through muslin for a clear, vivid juice.
From there it’s confectionery basics. Boil the juice with sugar to the soft ball stage, stir in bloomed gelatine and a few drops of lemon juice, then pour into a tin rinsed in cold water so the set jelly slips out easily.
Once firm, unmold it, cut into neat cubes, and roll them in very fine confectioner’s sugar.
Leave them to sit overnight in a warm spot so the sugar forms a delicate, crackly crust. Fresh fruit gives such a brilliant natural color that you’ll rarely need any food coloring at all.
Kitchen Tips
- Boil the syrup to the soft ball stage, about 240°F (116°C). A sugar thermometer takes all the guesswork out.
- Bloom the gelatine in cold water first so it dissolves smoothly, with no rubbery lumps.
- Rinse the tin with cold water before pouring, so the jelly releases without a fight.
- Let the sugared cubes rest overnight. That resting time is what makes the sugar coating cling.
Variations
- Use strawberry, blackcurrant, or pear juice in place of raspberry.
- Roll the finished jellies in granulated sugar for a sparklier, crunchier coat.
- Add a splash of fruit liqueur along with the lemon juice for grown-up sweets.
Ingredients
Directions
Raspberry Jellies Prepare raspberry juice by crushing the fruit, warming it in a bowl over hot water until the juice flows freely and then straining through muslin.
Soak the gelatine in the cold water.
Dissolve the sugar in the juice and boil up to 240 degrees F or the soft ball stage.
Add the lemon juice and gelatine.
Re-heat to 240 degrees F and pour into a tin previously rinsed in cold water.
If the colour is pale add a few drops of cochineal before the end, but fresh fruit should give a brilliant colour.
When set, loosen the sides with a hot knife and stand the pan on a cloth wrung out of boiling water.
Turn the jelly out on to a board.
Cut into cubes and roll in very fine confectioner’s sugar.
Stand the sweets in a warm place overnight so that the sugar crystals adhers.
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