Fruit Gele Food

FRUIT GELEES

Steps:

• Line a 9x 5 loaf pan with plastic wrap and coat with cooking spray.
• Bring 1 1/4 cups sugar, concentrate/purée, applesauce, and corn syrup to a boil in a sauce pan. Cook until thermometer says 224 degrees. (About 10 minutes) Add pectin and bring to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon. cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Sprinkle top evenly with one tablespoon sugar. Invert gelee onto cutting board. Remove plastic. Cut into 32 pieces. Roll gelees in remaining sugar.

APRICOT GELEE

Steps:

• Heat the puree over medium-high heat in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Mix the pectin with half the sugar to "dilute" it. When the puree reaches 100 degrees F, add the pectin/sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the remaining sugar and the corn syrup and cook until the mixture reaches 225 degrees F, stirring slowly and constantly with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides.
• Dissolve the ascorbic acid in 1 teaspoon of water. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ascorbic acid. Pour into a baking dish lined with a silpat or parchment paper, and let set for at least overnight, until gelled and firm. Cut neatly into rectangles 1-inch by 1 1/2 inches. Spread a few tablespoons of sugar in a dish and roll each square in sugar, to coat. Wrap individually in cellophane or store in an airtight container. At room temperature, they keep up to 4 weeks.
• Notes about the recipe: When golden-brown cookies and dark-brown chocolates threaten to overwhelm my petit-four trays, I can always depend on the bright garnet sparkle of these candies, lively in color and flavor. In France, where I learned to make them, gelees come in a tremendous range of colors and flavors, from grass-green kiwi to deep purple blackberry.
• And if you're a fan of Chuckles candies, these will blow your mind. Pectin is a natural fruit gelatin that you can buy in powder form, especially during canning season (June-October). Ascorbic acid, a natural antioxidant available at health-food stores, keeps the color bright.

FRUIT GELE

Steps:

• 1. Bring the first 3 ingredients to a boil at 79C. Mix togeather the fruit pectin and the secon sugar in a seperate bowl.
• 2. Add the sugar/pectin mixture to the fruit mixture and bring to a boil. Add glucose. Cook to 107C. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, and using a piping bag or other depositor, portion into the desired mould.
• 3. Allow to set before removing from moulds, the coat in granulated sugar.

PASSION-FRUIT GELéE WITH BASIL CREAM

Steps:

• Make gelée:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon passion-fruit nectar at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining nectar.
• Transfer to a metal bowl and set bowl into a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until gelée is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Put egg carton in a shallow baking pan and arrange glasses in carton, then tilt glasses to a 45-degree angle. Divide gelée among glasses. Carefully transfer pan with glasses to refrigerator and chill until gelée is set, at least 1 hour.
• Make cream when gelée has set:
• Pulse basil, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl and add cream, stirring just until sugar is dissolved.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften. Cook over low heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon basil cream at a time until gelatin mixture is cool, then whisk in remaining cream. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, pressing hard on solids and then discarding them.
• Set bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice and cold water and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cream is consistency of raw egg white, 15 to 25 minutes.
• Holding 1 glass of gelée at a 45-degree angle, slowly fill glass with basil cream, gradually righting glass as filled. Fill remaining glasses in same manner. Chill, covered, until set, at least 1 hour.

STRAWBERRY GELéE

Steps:

• Run a 9 x 12-inch rimmed baking sheet under cold water and shake off the excess. Line the damp pan neatly with plastic wrap. (The water will help the plastic stick to the pan.)
• Cut enough of the strawberries into tiny dice to measure 1/4 cup.
• Put the remaining strawberries in a food processor and process to a very smooth puree. Strain and measure out 2 cups.
• Pour about 1/2 cup of the puree into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Let sit for at least 1 minute.
• Pour the water into a saucepan and whisk in the agar. Add 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the puree with the gelatin and whisk for at least 1 minute to dissolve the gelatin. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 1 cup puree, the sugar, the Triple Sec, and the diced strawberries. Taste for sugar and stir in more if needed.
• Skim any froth. Pour into the baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. To serve, turn out onto a cutting board and cut into small squares. Or use a whisk to break the gelée up into irregular shapes.

PASSION-FRUIT GELEES

Steps:

• Lightly oil baking pan.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand 4 minutes to soften. Heat gelatin over medium-low heat, stirring, until dissolved. Stir in 2 cups sugar until dissolved, then stir in lemon juice.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, washing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil, uncovered, without stirring, 13 minutes (watch carefully so that mixture does not boil over). Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes for bubbles to dissipate. (Skim any foam that remains after 5 minutes.) Stir in passion-fruit purée (do not scrape bottom of pan; leave any dark bits that stick). Pour into baking pan and let stand at room temperature until set, at least 12 hours.
• Run a sharp knife around edge of gelatin and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cut strips into 1-inch pieces. Just before serving, gently toss gelées in a bowl of sugar to coat, brushing off excess.

CHERRY GELEE

Steps:

• Bring cherries, 1 cup sugar, the water, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid is reduced by about half, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing very firmly on solids to release as much juice as possible (you should have 4 cups). Refrigerate until cooled completely, about 1 hour.
• Place 1 1/2 cups cherry liquid in a medium saucepan. Sprinkle 4 1/2 teaspoons gelatin over liquid, and let soften, about 8 minutes. Heat mixture over medium heat until gelatin dissolves completely and mixture is about to simmer, about 4 minutes (do not let boil). Turn off heat, and gradually stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups cherry liquid; pour cherry-gelatin mixture back into bowl. Place bowl in a larger bowl of ice water, and refrigerate until softly set, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring once halfway through with a rubber spatula.
• Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons cream, the remaining sugar, and the vanilla in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with remaining gelatin, and let soften, about 8 minutes. Heat mixture over medium heat until gelatin dissolves and mixture is about to simmer, about 2 minutes (do not let boil). Whisk in remaining cream until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and place bowl in a larger bowl of ice water. Refrigerate until thickened, about 15 minutes. (Both mixtures should be approximately the same consistency.)
• Whisk cream mixture, and strain through a fine sieve. Spoon cream mixture into a small disposable pastry bag, and snip off tip. Whisk gelee until thick but pourable. Divide gelee among 6 bowls, and shake to settle. Working with 1 gelee at a time, pipe 6 to 8 cream dots of varying sizes onto top, then draw a wooden skewer through them to create a swirled pattern. Refrigerate gelees until just set, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.