Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (34 page)

10.
Drain nuts and place on the baking sheet.

11.
Dry nuts in the oven for 2 hours or until fully dry.

Yield:

About 20 chestnuts

Storage:

Wrap individually in plastic and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

General Description:

These classic French confections are beautiful, jewel-like candies that taste like the pure essence of fruit
. Pâtes de fruits look like sophisticated
fruit jellies
, but they are actually more like a concentrated, intense jam. They are made with pureed fruit cooked with pectin, which gives them a rich, pure fruit flavor and a denser, chewier consistency than gelatin-based jellies. Pâtes de fruits are usually cut into square pieces and covered in sugar for a sparkling appearance. The very best pâtes de fruits in France are prized for the quality of the ingredients and sold in high-end confectioneries alongside truffles and other chocolates.

History:

The ancient Greeks learned that cooking fruits with honey preserves them, thanks to naturally occurring fruit pectin. Auvergne, France, is credited with inventing the first pâtes de fruits in the 16th century. Today this city is still famous for the quality of its confections.

Serving Suggestions:

Pâtes de fruits are traditional petits fours in fine restaurants. You can serve them with truffles after dinner.

Candy-Making Notes:

The proportions of fruit, sugar, and pectin are key to ensuring that the mixture sets properly. If you want
to use other fruits, you may need to experiment and adjust the amounts to achieve the perfect consistency.

Recipe:

1.
Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2.
Puree the raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Strain into a saucepan and cook over high heat until it begins to simmer.

3.
Combine the apple pectin and 2½ tablespoons sugar. Add to the raspberry mixture and cook until it reaches a boil.

4.
Add the remaining sugar and corn syrup, and cook mixture until it reaches 225°F.

5.
Remove from heat and stir in tartaric acid. Let it cool.

6.
Run the blade of a knife all around the edges to help loosen it from the pan. Cut pâtes de fruits into 1-inch squares and roll in sugar to coat.

Yield:

About 60 candies

Storage: