Plum Pates de Fruits

plum pates de fruits
Photo: Louise Hagger
Prep Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Yield:
3 dozen

Our sugar plum take on the classic French fruit jellies are so easy that there's no reason not to make them yourself!

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups plum, blackberry, or raspberry puree (such as Boiron), or a combination, thawed if frozen

  • 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon citric acid, such as Now Foods (available at amazon.com)

  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

  • cup light corn syrup

  • ½ cup liquid fruit pectin, such as Ball (from 2 pouches; available at amazon.com)

  • Fine sanding sugar, for coating

  • Slivered pistachios (available at kalustyans.com), for leaves

Directions

  1. Set 2 silicone molds with 1 3/4-inch compartments (such as Matfer Bourgeat; available at webstaurantstore.com) on baking sheets. Combine puree and half of granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Add remaining granulated sugar, citric acid, and salt. Return to a rolling boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.

  2. Stir in corn syrup and pectin. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture reads 221 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. (Mixture should be quite thick and bubbles larger and less frequent; it should form a definite "sheet" when a spoon is dipped into pan and then held above it.) Very carefully transfer to a liquid-measuring cup and pour into molds, filling each cup just to top. Let cool completely, about 2 hours.

  3. Carefully pop pates de fruits out of molds. In a shallow bowl, toss with sanding sugar. Stick one or two pistachio "leaves" in top of each just before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks. (If sanding sugar has dissolved, toss pates de fruits in more before serving.)

Cook's Notes

  • This recipe uses only half a kilo of puree (Boiron brand purees come frozen in whole kilos at amazon.com), but the extra will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months, or you can simply double the recipe.
  • If you don’t have silicone molds, line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang. When the confections are set, use the overhang to lift them out of the pan and cut them into 1-inch squares, wiping your knife between cuts.
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