Homemade Conversation Hearts Recipes

HOMEMADE CONVERSATION HEARTS RECIPE

Steps:

• To Bloom the Gelatin: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine gelatin and Sprite. Whisk with a fork to combine; let stand five minutes. Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place the bowl of gelatin over hot water and stir occasionally until melted. (If using a hand mixer you can use a water bath too, or use a microwave-safe bowl and zap the gelatin at 5-second intervals until melted.)
• To Make the Sugar Paste: Fit the stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix melted gelatin/Sprite mixture with about two cups of powdered sugar and until it forms a sauce-like consistency. Add in the salt and continue adding powdered sugar, a few cups at a time, until a dough forms. You may not need all of the powdered sugar; use any excess for rolling out the paste later.
• The finished candy "dough" should be thick, malleable, and not particularly sticky. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead (using more powdered sugar to prevent sticking if necessary) until smooth. With a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into six portions, or however many colors/flavor portions you plan on having. Place all the dough portions into a zippy bag, or wrap each in plastic
• To Flavor and Color the Candies: If you have disposable gloves, this next step will be easy, just like kneading bread dough. If you don't, you'll knead the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap or through a large zippy bag. Take one portion of dough, unwrap, and make an indentation in the center with your fingers. In the well, place a few drops of the desired extract/freeze-dried fruit powder along with a touch of food coloring (if using).
• Knead the dough until the color is perfectly uniform, about 3 minutes. Taste a pinch of the dough and adjust the flavor if need be.
• To Roll and Cut the Candy: Have a parchment-lined sheet tray ready. On a surface dusted very lightly with powdered sugar, roll the dough out with a pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a heart-shaped cutter to stamp out the candies. You can gather and re-roll the scraps as many times as you like. Transfer the cut-outs to the prepared tray and set aside. Repeat the flavoring/coloring, rolling, and cutting process with remaining dough.
• To Dry the Candy: Let the cut-out hearts air dry, uncovered, for at least 24 hours. If you have pets or kids, be sure to set the trays somewhere out of the way. After 24 hours, sample one of the candies. If the texture is to your liking, you're done! If you prefer a harder, crunchier texture, flip the hearts over to expose their bottom sides and dry another 24 hours. In either case, decorate the candies (or not) with a food pen. Store in an airtight container, indefinitely.

CONVERSATION HEART CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Coat a 9-inch round and a 9-inch square cake pan (2 inches deep) with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mixes as directed; divide between the pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool, then remove from the pans. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level. Cut the round cake in half as shown.
• Working on a cake board (you can cut the board into a heart shape to fit the cake) or a cutting board, position the 2 half circles of cake against 2 sides of the square cake to make a heart.
• Cover the cake with the white frosting, using the frosting to fill in any gaps between the cakes.
• Combine the marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring with a rubber spatula, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the green food coloring and stir until smooth.
• Transfer the marshmallow mixture to a stand mixer. Gradually add all but 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the butter.
• Scrape the marshmallow fondant onto a sheet of parchment and knead in confectioners' sugar until it's no longer sticky. Dust the parchment with more sugar; roll out the fondant until it's large enough to cover the cake, at least 13 by 16 inches.
• Carefully flip the parchment and fondant onto the cake; peel off the parchment. Gently press the fondant against the sides of the cake and smooth with your hands; trim the excess. Brush off the extra sugar.
• Use the wide end of a chopstick to press letters into the fondant (it's best to do this before the fondant dries out). Use a small brush to paint hot pink or red food coloring in the letter indentations.

HOMEMADE CONVERSATION HEARTS

Steps:

• 1. Place the corn syrup, gelatin, and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the gelatin is well-distributed. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, so the gelatin dissolves, and stir well. 2. Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternately, if you are using a hand mixer, pour the gelatin mixture into a large bowl. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and turn the mixer to low, mixing until the sugar is incorporated. 3. Once the sugar is mixed in, add another cup of sugar, again mixing on low until it liquefies. Continue to add the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, pausing in between additions to allow the sugar to mix in, until the full two pounds of powdered sugar is added. Periodically, stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. The candy will progress from a thin, watery liquid to a very stiff dough. 4. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, dust a work surface (counter or large cutting board) with powdered sugar and scrape the candy out onto the work surface. The candy will be very sticky and stiff. Generously dust the top of the ball of candy with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the candy like bread dough: fold the ball of dough over onto itself, then use the heel of your hand to push it down. Give the candy a quarter-turn, and repeat the process, dusting it with more powdered sugar as often as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the board or your hands. Knead until the candy is satiny and not sticky. 5. Decide how many colors/flavors of conversation hearts you want to make, and divide the candy dough into that many portions. To flavor and color the candy, take one of the balls and flatten it into a palm-sized disc. Add a few drops of food coloring and flavoring extract to the center of the disc, and fold it over on itself. (It is a good idea to wear disposable plastic gloves during this step to keep your hands free of colors and odors.) Knead the dough ball, just as you did before, until the color is evenly dispersed throughout the candy, and all streaks have disappeared. Repeat this process with remaining candy balls and colors/flavors, until all of your candy is colored and flavored. 6. Dust your work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out one of the candy balls to your desired thickness. Small store-bought conversation hearts tend to be fairly thick, generally over 1/4" thick. I find that this thickness works well for small hearts (under 1"), but it makes larger heart sizes very substantial and a little overwhelming. However, the thickness is entirely a matter of personal preference and does not affect the taste of the final candy. 7. Use heart-shaped cutters to cut hearts out of the rolled candy, and transfer the hearts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smaller hearts are more realistic, but larger hearts are easier to write messages on. Once you have cut out your hearts, you can re-roll the scraps to get more shapes out of the candy. Repeat with remaining candy balls. 8. Allow your hearts to air-dry for at least 24 hours before you write on them. This step is VERY important, because the extra moisture in the hearts will cause the ink to run if you do not let them dry properly. 9. After the hearts have dried for a day, use the food writing markers to write messages or draw designs on the hearts. Once all of your hearts are decorated, they are finished and ready to eat, or give as gifts. Store your conversation hearts in an airtight container at room temperature. While they technically last a very long time, their texture does get harder over time.