Pâte de fruits

• całkowity czas: 1 hour

Składniki

500g of raspberries

500g of caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

30g of pectin

Wskazówki

Purée the raspberries, add with the sugar and pectin to a pan and heat until the mixture reaches 110ºC - it should be thick by this point

Pour into a 20cm square tray lined with silicone paper to set, then cut into squares and sprinkle with sugar

Notatki

Jams and jellies are typically cooked to about 220°F; for tender, yielding pâte de fruit, I determined that 230°F was just right. Cooked to this temperature, the candies held defined corners when cut, yet melted readily in my mouth.

Target temperature achieved, the next step is to stir in commercial pectin to supplement the natural pectin in the fruit. Then, boil the syrupy mixture hard for 60 seconds to help the pectin chains link to each other and form a network that traps the fruit and melted sugar.

Add a bit of fresh lemon juice, which sharpens the fruity flavor and strengthens the pectin, then pour it all into a mold—in my case, a loaf pan, which had the right dimensions for this amount of mixture to create bite-size morsels.

Lime and passion fruit were standouts, with tart and floral notes. My pineapple candies feature the fruity heat of habanero chile, and I jazzed up familiar strawberry with a few grinds of black pepper. For adult spins, I added pleasantly bitter Campari to a pink grapefruit version and I made a mulled wine number that would elevate any holiday cheese board.

In versions that used a light-colored puree or juice, I added some applesauce for opacity and subtle texture, staying true to the “fruit paste” translation. In citrus variations such as lime and grapefruit, a bit of citric acid powder added to the dredging sugar accentuated the brightness without obscuring the fruitiness.