Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Homemade Gumdrops


After I made this recipe for the first time three Christmases ago, they are by far the biggest hit of the treat boxes I give as gifts for the holidays. They seem to be the one treat people remember from year to year, and I have had more requests for this recipe than any other. But I cannot claim credit for these delicious sugary treats - I found the recipe online!

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar + 1 cup for rolling
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2 (3 oz) packages Jell-O gelatin mix (I like red flavors for Christmas, such as cherry, raspberry or strawberry)
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 tsp. lemon juice


Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, applesauce, Jell-O gelatin, unflavored gelatin and lemon juice. Let stand for one minute.


2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Boil for one minute.
4. Pour immediately into a well-greased 9x13-inch baking dish. (I prefer to line the dish with parchment paper because the gumdrops are very sticky).
5. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.


6. Once the gumdrops are firm, remove from pan. If you use parchment paper, you can simply pull the paper up at the ends. If you do not use parchment paper, gently loosen the gumdrops from the side of the dish with a spatula and invert onto wax paper.


7. Using a sharp knife dipped in steaming hot water, cut the gumdrops into squares (you can make them any size you like). It is helpful to run the knife under very hot water after 2-3 cuts to prevent the gumdrops from sticking to the knife.


8. Place the gumdrops on a sheet of wax paper and let dry at room temperature for 8 hours (and no longer, or the gumdrops will lose their stickiness).


9. Once the gumdrops are dry, roll in sugar. Store in an airtight container.

No comments:

Post a Comment