Fruit Gelees Recipes

FRUIT JELLIES

Steps:

• Place 2/3 cup juice in a small bowl or measuring cup and sprinkle with gelatin. Let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine remaining 2/3 cup juice and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, 5 minutes. Add preserves and whisk to combine. Return to a boil and cook until thick and syrupy, 2 minutes. Add gelatin mixture and whisk until gelatin dissolves. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-inch square baking dish. Refrigerate until set, 3 hours (or up to 2 weeks).
• Place remaining 1 cup sugar in a pie plate or shallow bowl. Cut fruit jelly into 1-inch squares. Toss in sugar to coat just before serving.

PASSION-FRUIT GELEES

Steps:

• Lightly oil baking pan.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand 4 minutes to soften. Heat gelatin over medium-low heat, stirring, until dissolved. Stir in 2 cups sugar until dissolved, then stir in lemon juice.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, washing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil, uncovered, without stirring, 13 minutes (watch carefully so that mixture does not boil over). Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes for bubbles to dissipate. (Skim any foam that remains after 5 minutes.) Stir in passion-fruit purée (do not scrape bottom of pan; leave any dark bits that stick). Pour into baking pan and let stand at room temperature until set, at least 12 hours.
• Run a sharp knife around edge of gelatin and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cut strips into 1-inch pieces. Just before serving, gently toss gelées in a bowl of sugar to coat, brushing off excess.

FRUIT GELEES

Steps:

• Line a 9x 5 loaf pan with plastic wrap and coat with cooking spray.
• Bring 1 1/4 cups sugar, concentrate/purée, applesauce, and corn syrup to a boil in a sauce pan. Cook until thermometer says 224 degrees. (About 10 minutes) Add pectin and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon. cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Sprinkle top evenly with one tablespoon sugar. Invert gelee onto cutting board. Remove plastic. Cut into 32 pieces. Roll gelees in remaining sugar.

APRICOT GELEE

Steps:

• Heat the puree over medium-high heat in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Mix the pectin with half the sugar to "dilute" it. When the puree reaches 100 degrees F, add the pectin/sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the remaining sugar and the corn syrup and cook until the mixture reaches 225 degrees F, stirring slowly and constantly with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides.
• Dissolve the ascorbic acid in 1 teaspoon of water. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ascorbic acid. Pour into a baking dish lined with a silpat or parchment paper, and let set for at least overnight, until gelled and firm. Cut neatly into rectangles 1-inch by 1 1/2 inches. Spread a few tablespoons of sugar in a dish and roll each square in sugar, to coat. Wrap individually in cellophane or store in an airtight container. At room temperature, they keep up to 4 weeks.
• Notes about the recipe: When golden-brown cookies and dark-brown chocolates threaten to overwhelm my petit-four trays, I can always depend on the bright garnet sparkle of these candies, lively in color and flavor. In France, where I learned to make them, gelees come in a tremendous range of colors and flavors, from grass-green kiwi to deep purple blackberry.
• And if you're a fan of Chuckles candies, these will blow your mind. Pectin is a natural fruit gelatin that you can buy in powder form, especially during canning season (June-October). Ascorbic acid, a natural antioxidant available at health-food stores, keeps the color bright.

PASSION-FRUIT GELéE WITH BASIL CREAM

Steps:

• Make gelée:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon passion-fruit nectar at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining nectar.
• Transfer to a metal bowl and set bowl into a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until gelée is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Put egg carton in a shallow baking pan and arrange glasses in carton, then tilt glasses to a 45-degree angle. Divide gelée among glasses. Carefully transfer pan with glasses to refrigerator and chill until gelée is set, at least 1 hour.
• Make cream when gelée has set:
• Pulse basil, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl and add cream, stirring just until sugar is dissolved.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon basil cream at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining cream. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, pressing hard on solids and then discarding them.
• Set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cream is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Holding 1 glass of gelée at a 45-degree angle, slowly fill glass with basil cream, gradually righting glass as filled. Fill remaining glasses in same manner. Chill, covered, until set, at least 1 hour.

HOMEMADE FRUIT GELS, BASIC RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup fruit juice in small saucepan until it just simmers, do not cook for any length of time. Turn off heat and stir in sugar, if using. Place remaining 1 cup cold juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin over, stir, let sit for 2 minutes and stir again. Add warm juice to cold juice, stir, and pour mixture into 8 by 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm, 4 hours, and cut into cubes.

DESSERT WINE GELEES WITH CITRUS FRUIT

Steps:

• Combine 5 tablespoons cold water and gelatin in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and wines in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until sugar has dissolved. Add gelatin mixture, and whisk until melted. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine sieve into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Let cool completely.
• Cut peel and pith from citrus. Cut each segment from membranes, then cut horizontally into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices (you will need 1 cup). Arrange in a single layer over gelatin mixture. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
• To unmold, run a knife around edge of dish. Using an offset spatula, gently coax gelatin from sides. Invert and turn out onto a cutting board. Trim edges, and cut into 1 1/4-inch squares. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 1 day.