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Festive Cranberry Jelly Candies Recipe

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  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 hours (including chilling and drying time)
  • Yield: 50-60 squares
  • Category: Candy
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Festive Cranberry Jelly Candies are a delightful homemade treat featuring a perfect balance of tart cranberry flavor and sweet sugar coating. These chewy, luscious candies are made by simmering cranberry juice with gelatin and sugar, then setting the mixture until firm and coating each piece with granulated sugar. Ideal for holiday gifting or festive celebrations, they offer a vibrant red color and a crunchy sugar exterior that makes them irresistibly festive and delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Jelly Candies

  • Nonstick spray, for greasing tin and knife
  • 240 milliliters cold cranberry juice (1 cup)
  • 35 grams powdered gelatin (five 7-gram packets, or about 3 1/2 tablespoons)
  • 650 grams granulated sugar (about 3 1/4 cups, plus more for coating candies)
  • 180 milliliters boiling cranberry juice (3/4 cup)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Pan: Line an 8×8-inch square baking tin with parchment paper arranged in a criss-cross pattern, allowing a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Grease the parchment generously with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
  2. Combine Gelatin and Cold Juice: Pour the cold cranberry juice into a large stock pot. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the juice’s surface. Whisk to dissolve and combine thoroughly to avoid lumps.
  3. Add Sugar and Boiling Juice: Pour in the boiling cranberry juice and add the granulated sugar to the pot. Whisk continuously until the sugar begins to dissolve.
  4. Cook the Mixture: Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, which will take about 5 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spoon. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches 107°C (225°F) on a digital thermometer, which will take 20-25 minutes or longer, ensuring patience for precise results.
  5. Remove Bubbles: Take the pot off heat. Using a skimmer or fine mesh strainer, gently remove any large bubbles that have formed to create a smooth jelly texture.
  6. Set the Jelly: Pour the hot mixture into the prepared pan. Don’t worry if you notice some bubbles or foamy spots; these will be masked after coating with sugar.
  7. Refrigerate: Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill until the jelly is firm, for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight for best results.
  8. Prepare for Cutting: Line a large tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Coat a large cutting board generously with 2-3 scoops of granulated sugar.
  9. Unmold the Jelly: Flip the set cranberry jelly slab onto the sugared cutting board. Carefully peel off the parchment paper from the jelly’s surface.
  10. Coat in Sugar: Use your hands to spread granulated sugar over the entire slab, making sure both sides are completely coated, which helps manage stickiness.
  11. Mark Cutting Lines: Using the back of a knife, lightly score the jelly slab into squares as a cutting guide. You can make 7 by 7 rows for 49 candies or 8 by 8 rows for 64 candies, depending on your preferred candy size.
  12. Cut the Candies: Using a sharp chef’s knife that has been lightly oiled to prevent sticking, carefully cut along the scored lines to create individual candy squares.
  13. Roll in Sugar: Roll each candy square in granulated sugar to fully coat all sticky surfaces, giving them an attractive and crunchy exterior.
  14. Arrange on Tray: Place the sugar-coated candies on the prepared tray, ensuring they do not touch each other to prevent sticking.
  15. Dry the Candies: Leave the candies uncovered at room temperature and allow them to dry for 1-2 days. This promotes sugar crystallization, forming a crunchy coating on each candy.
  16. Storage: Once dried, layer the cranberry jelly candies between sheets of parchment paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one month, preserving freshness.

Notes

  • For best results, use a digital candy thermometer to monitor the mixture’s temperature precisely.
  • Make sure to oil the knife lightly before cutting to prevent the jelly from sticking and tearing.
  • The sugar coating helps prevent the candies from sticking together and adds a pleasant crunch.
  • You can substitute cranberry juice with other fruit juices like cherry or pomegranate for different flavors.
  • Allow the candies to dry fully at room temperature for the best texture; refrigerating them may cause stickiness due to condensation.
  • If you prefer smaller or larger candies, adjust the number of scored rows accordingly.
  • These candies make excellent holiday gifts and can be decorated further with edible glitter or colored sugar for special occasions.

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Find it online: https://easymealgenius.com/festive-cranberry-jelly-candies-recipe/