Pâte de Fruit: Fruit Jellies

Chewing on some gummy bears at the theater, I thought of the perfect use of a tub of leftover raspberry puree.  In culinary school we made Pâte de Fruit (PAHT duh-FWEE), little square fruit jellies.  Pâte de Fruit translates from French to “fruit paste.”  I’m not going to pretend to be an aficionado on the subject, as each recipe calls for a different kind of pectin (most call for apple pectin) and some call for glucose syrup or citric acid.  I ended up with jellies a bit on the softer side but they still hold their shape and are very delicious–A great non-chocolate candy for the holidays.

Adapted from SELF (epicurious.com)

1 1/2 cups of Raspberry Puree (you can make your own with a food mill)
2 tbs Pomona’s Universal Pectin (Whole Foods)
1 3/4 cups sugar + 3 tbs sugar
3 1/2 tbs light corn syrup
2 tbs lemon juice

Line a rimmed 9″ x 12″ baking sheet (with at least a 1/4-inch rim) with parchment paper (I used adjustable aluminum candy bars instead but no one should own these!!). Mix pectin and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl. Add puree to a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pectin-sugar mixture onto puree and stir until pectin dissolves. Continue to boil for 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar in 3 parts, stirring after each addition and waiting 15 seconds between additions. Add corn syrup; cook mixture until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Pour mixture into baking sheet, spread evenly and let set 2 hours. Cut jelly into 1-inch squares or other shapes using a sharp knife. Toss squares, a few at a time, in remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 month.