Yield: Makes about 40-64 squares depending on size cut, recipe easily doubled or halved
Recipe created by Jen King and Liz Gutman Oprah.com | From the October 2010 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
ingredients:
½ cup (120 ml) citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime; etc.)
1½ cups (360 ml) applesauce, plain (no sugar added)
2 teaspoons (10ml/10 g) powdered pectin
2½ cups (600 ml/20oz/560gm) granulated white sugar
Zest – zest 2 small lemons for lemon pate de fruit, 2 small limes for lime pate de fruit, or 1 medium to large orange or tangerine for orange pate de fruit
Gel or paste food coloring, yellow, green or orange depending on the citrus you're using, optional
directions:
Lightly oil (or line with parchment paper) an 8”x8” (20cmx20xm) square pan; set aside.
Combine citrus juice and applesauce in a medium, deep saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together the pectin and ½ cup sugar, and blend into the citrus mixture. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Add remaining sugar and boil, stirring, until mixture reaches 225°F / 107°C (you may need to stir constantly toward the end to prevent burning). Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and coloring (optional).
Pour into prepared pan. When slightly cool, allow to set about 2 to 4 hours. Cut into 1-inch (25 mm) squares, or use a lightly oiled cutter to make other shapes. Dredge in sugar and dry on a cooling rack or parchment lined baking sheet, overnight. Scraps can be re-melted and reset.
Store in a box or paper bag at room temperature for up to two weeks or in a container in the fridge for longer. Will need to reroll in sugar if using the latter to store it. Read important message below.
What if my pate de fruits doesn't seem to be setting?
Pour the mixture back into a clean pot and bring to a boil. Spoon 1 cup of the hot mixture into a bowl or measuring cup and stir in 1 packet of plain gelatin until the gelatin is dissolved. Pour this back into the pot and stir through, then pour back into the parchment lined 8x8 pan to set.
notes:
In order for pate de fruits to set properly, unless using gelatin instead of pectin, the puree, sugar and pectin must be cooked down close to a paste. The only problem is, once it reaches 225 F or the temperature given, it's not a paste yet, still quite liquid. You'd have to cook it at least another 15 minutes to get to 'that consistency', which in turn would bring the temperatue up higher. Unless it scorches, I don't see a problem with it - just keep stirring.
Recipe by parsley sage sweet at https://parsleysagesweet.com/2011/08/27/candy-candy-candy-i-cant-let-you-go/