Description
These Festive Cranberry Jelly Candies are a delightful sweet treat made with pure cranberry juice and gelatin, resulting in a chewy, tangy candy coated in granulated sugar for a crunchy finish. Perfect for holiday gifting or a seasonal snack, these candies combine the tartness of cranberries with a sweet sugar coating, offering a beautifully vibrant and refreshing jelly candy experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Preparation
- Nonstick spray, for greasing tin and knife
Main Ingredients
- 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
- Prepare the Pan: Line an 8×8-inch square tin with parchment in a criss-cross pattern, allowing a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Generously grease the parchment and the tin with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Bloom Gelatin: Pour the cold cranberry juice into a large stock pot. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface and whisk gently to combine, allowing the gelatin to start dissolving into the juice.
- Add Hot Liquid and Sugar: Add the boiling cranberry juice and granulated sugar to the pot. Whisk the mixture together thoroughly until the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Cook the Mixture: Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, which should take about 5 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spoon. Cook until the temperature reaches 107° C (225° F) on a digital thermometer, which typically takes 20-25 minutes or more. Be patient during this step as it’s crucial for texture.
- Remove Bubbles: Take the pot off the heat. Use a skimmer or fine mesh strainer to gently remove any large bubbles from the surface for a smooth finish.
- Pour and Chill: Pour the hot cranberry jelly mixture into the prepared pan. Don’t worry if bubbles or foamy spots remain; these will disappear once the candy is coated. Refrigerate the pan until the jelly sets firmly, which takes at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
- Prepare for Cutting: Once set, line a large tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Coat a large chopping board with 2-3 scoops of granulated sugar to prevent sticking.
- Unmold the Candy: Flip the cranberry jelly slab out of the pan onto the sugared chopping board. Carefully peel away the parchment paper from the slab.
- Coat with Sugar: Using your hands, spread granulated sugar all over the slab on both sides until completely coated to stop sticking and start forming the crunchy exterior.
- Mark the Pieces: Lightly score the slab with the back of a knife to create cutting guidelines. You can opt for 7×7 rows (49 candies) or 8×8 rows (64 candies) depending on your preferred size.
- Cut the Candy: Using a sharp, well-oiled chef’s knife, cut the jelly slab into squares following the scored lines precisely.
- Sugar Coat Each Candy: Roll each individual square in granulated sugar to ensure all sticky sides are fully coated with sugar for texture and appearance.
- Dry the Candies: Arrange the coated candies on the prepared tray, ensuring they do not touch each other. Leave them uncovered at room temperature for 1-2 days to dry, allowing the sugar to crystallize and form a crunchy outer coating.
- Store Properly: Once dried, layer the cranberry jelly candies between sheets of parchment paper and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep fresh for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Use 100% pure cranberry juice instead of cranberry juice cocktail for best flavor and proper texture; juice blends with added sugar will overly sweeten the candies.
- A digital thermometer is essential to monitor the candy mixture’s temperature accurately; choose one with a probe or clip-on feature to keep hands free for stirring.
- This recipe uses powdered gelatin, but leaf gelatin can be used with appropriate conversions. Understanding the differences helps achieve the best results.
- Plan ahead as the candies require 1-2 days of drying time at room temperature to develop the ideal crunchy sugar coating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 candy square (approximate)
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
