Recipe/Source for authentic French fruit jelly candies

[Dylan Yolles]

During a recent visit to France, I fell in love with the wonderful
French fruit jellies, or "Pates de Fruits" as they're called. I'm
speaking of fruit jelly candies, not the kind of fruit jelly one
spreads on bread.

Needless to say, it's virtually impossible to buy anything resembling
French fruit jellies in the United States. Thus, I'm looking for
some authentic recipes for French fruit jellies.

The best (and only) authentic looking recipe I've found so far is
from Lenotre's book of French desserts and candies. This recipe
uses a fruit pectin base for the jelly. Unfortunately, I haven't
had much luck with it--the jellies have a nice flavor,
but end up with the consistency of Jell-o and lack the firmness
and chewiness that are necessary for a good jelly.

Question time:

Does anyone know of other recipes for fruit jellies? The only ones
I've seen other than Lenotre's use gelatin as the base, not fruit
pectin. I find it hard to believe that these would produce a good
result, but I'm open to being convinced.

Also, does anyone have suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong
in my execution of the Lenotre recipe?

Finally (last resort) does anyone know of an accessible source
(e.g., mail order or a bay area store) for quality fruit jellies,
preferably (but not necessarily) imported from France?

Feel free to post answers, but please cc: me a copy by e-mail
as I don't always get a chance to read the group.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Dylan
zi...@leland.stanford.edu

[Vicki Domansky]

In article <1992Aug18....@leland.Stanford.EDU> zi...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dylan Yolles) writes:
>Does anyone know of other recipes for fruit jellies? The only ones
>I've seen other than Lenotre's use gelatin as the base, not fruit
>pectin. I find it hard to believe that these would produce a good
>result, but I'm open to being convinced.

I found a couple of fruit jelly recipes in my Ideals Candy Cookbook by
Mildred Brand. One uses pectin while the other uses gelatin, so you
could compare them if you want. I've never made jellies, so have no
idea of the differences. Sorry.

----
Raspberry jellies

2-2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup pectin
2-1/2 cup cool water
1-2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 12 ounce jar raspberry jam
1 Tablespoon liquid citric acid
or
1/2 teaspoon citric acid and Tablespoon hot water
1 cup walnuts
red food coloring
Confectioners or granulated sugar

Combine sugar and pectin in a 4-quart saucepan and mix well. Slowly
add cool water, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Add syrup, which has been heated to boiling. Cook
rapidly to 220 degrees F stirring occasionally. Add mashed raspberry
jam and a few drops of red food coloring. Cook to 224 degrees F
stirring constantly. Remove candy from heat and add liquid citric
acid. Fold in nuts. Pour into a buttered 9-inch square pan. When
cool and firm enough, cut and roll in confectioners' or granulated
sugar. Makes about 64 pieces.

----
Turkish Delights

1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
food coloring as desired
confectioners sugar

Cook 1/2 cup water and sugar to 255 degrees F, remove from heat.
Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water for 5 minutes. Add gelatin
mixture to cooked syrup. Add juices and food coloring. Stir and
strain through a fine sieve. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan.
Let stand until firm. Turn out, cut into squares and roll in
confectioners sugar. Makes about 49 pieces.

----
Gumdrops [not exactly a jelly, but similar]

1 1-3/4 ounce package powdered fruit pectin
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3 to 4 drops peppermint oil (or other flavoring oil)
red or green food color

Lightly grease candy molds. In a small saucepan combine fruit
pectin, water and baking soda; set aside. In a 2-quart saucepan
combine sugar and corn syrup, mixing well. Cook both mixtres,
stirring alternately until foam subsides in soda mixture, about 5
minutes. Pour pectin mixture in a slow steady stream into the boiling
sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Boil and stir in flavoring and
food color. Pour into prepared molds. Let set 24 hours. Take out of
molds. Let stand at least a day before packaging. Makes about 20
pieces.

----
Apple-walnut jellies

[supposedly a firm jelly candy that can be dipped in chocolate]

2-2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup pectin
2-1/2 cup cool water
1-2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 15 ounce jar applesauce
1 tablespoon liquid citric acid
or
1/2 teaspooon citric acid plus 1 tablespoon very hot water
1 cup chopped walnuts
confectioners or granulated sugar

In a 4-quart saucepan combine sugar and pectin. Mix well; slowly add
cool water, stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Heat syrup just to the boiling point and add to sugar
mixture. Continue to stir until boiling begins and cook rapidly to
220 degrees F; stirring occasionally. Add applesauce and cook to 224
degrees F, stirring constantly. In a separate container, combine
citric acid and water or liquid citric acid. Stir well until
dissolved; add to the cooked candy. Fold in nuts. Pour into a
well-buttered 9-inch square pan. When cool and firm enough, cut and
roll each piece in confectioners or granulated sugar. Makes about 64
pieces.

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Vicki Domansky <Morgaine> ed...@unixg.ubc.ca
Education Computing Services v_dom...@mtsg.ubc.ca
U of B.C. Vancouver Canada user...@ubcmtsg.bitnet

[Greg Dawson]

Hi Dylan,

I don't know what the French fruit jellies you are looking for are like, but
from your description, they may be similar to an excellent fruit jelly candy
made by Liberty Orchards inWashington state... Fruit Festives, Aplets and
Cotlets.

You can order them by mail. Their number is 1-800-888-5696.

They come both with nuts and without, and are made with pectin, not gelatin.

Shari