Well I promised lots of vegan sweets from my Canadian Living Holiday Cookbook magazine and these are the first! They are really simple - just fruit, sugar and pectin, fairly easy to make and lovely:) I was just going to direct you to their website for the recipe but I can't find it there, so will post it here. The recipe was easy to follow with one exception. After cooking the fruit you are to purée then push it all through a fine sieve to get 2 cups of purée. This was quite difficult - my arm was killing me and I gave up after getting 1 cup. This meant I was only getting half the mixture so only added half the sugar and pectin listed here. It also meant I had to fill only half an 8" square pan. Thankfully the mixture is so thick this is easy to do - just fill half and shore it up with a strip of baking paper.
Mixed Berry Gelees:
2 large granny smith apples *increase to 4 for the green apple version
3 cups frozen mixed berries *omit for the green apple version
1/2 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
85g liquid pectin
more granulated sugar to coat
Line bottom and sides of an 8" square pan with baking paper and set aside. Coarsely chop apples, leaving skins and cores but removing seeds. In saucepan cook the apples, water and berries over medium heat until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. In processor puree the mixture until smooth. Press through fine sieve to get 2 cups* see notes above on this.
In clean saucepan bring the purée with sugar to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring often until candy thermometer reaches 'gel point stage' of 218G (103C) or when spoonful cooled on cold plate wrinkles and does not run together when separated, about 20 - 30 minutes. Note, I do not have a candy thermometer and you really do not need one. You'll tell when it's done as it gets thick to the point where a space is left when you stir with a wooden spoon, only slowly coming back together.
Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the pectin. Pour into prepared pan and let stand at room temperature without disturbing for 18 to 24 hours. Turn out onto a cutting board leaving the baking paper underneath. Slice into cubes, remove from paper and toss in the sugar. Let dry for 3 days. You can eat them right away, I think they say this as they do dry up making them easier to pack up for gifts. Store layered between baking paper for up to 2 weeks.
these are beautiful! So making them for xmas!
ReplyDeletewow, who would have thought those sweets were just apples and sugar basically? I'll be making them too!
ReplyDeleteBrillint gift recipe, thanks!x
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics - it looks like it's snowing on these delicious treats! Do they taste like a thick fruit leather or is it more like a lemon square minus the shortbread crust?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for the comments! Woobie - they are not like fruit leather - much softer but not as soft as a lemon square filling. After they sit for a few days they firm up a bit making them easy to package up (great for gifts) but are still soft in texture. I have included a photo of them sliced open to show this. They remind me of a softer, healthier tasting fruit jelly (it's a bit hard to describe! :) :)
ReplyDeleteOh Debbie,
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful culinary creation. Thank you for sharing. I don't know when I am ever going to make all those lovely recipes of yours that I have bookmarked. But I can drool...really a Brilliant blog.
OH MAN! I never thought about making these & now I want to!
ReplyDeleteWow, someone else made these, too! I made three flavours, blackberry, strawberry, and rhubarb. All veerry yummy. I can see trying orange, watermelon, endless possibilites. I like that these use pectin, and not gelatin like many other recipes. Next time, I'd cook the fruit in more water, for a thinner fruit puree, and add lemon juice.
ReplyDeleteCheers all! Yeah, the flavour possibilities are endless aren't they? I haven't stopped thinking about pineapple....must try pineapple!! Good call on adding more water, I will too next time, way too thick to push it all through the sieve. :)
ReplyDelete