Baking Bouchon - Recipe 91: Pâtes de Fruits

It comes with the territory that when you attempt to make everything in a cookbook that you'll make something that's not your favorite.  I've disliked a few recipes in this book.

It also come with the territory that you'll make a few things that are an utter disaster.  I've had my fair share of failures.

This was both - I hated it and it didn't even work.  It was a complete waste of time.

Pâtes de Fruits are a fruit jellies.  Not jelly like you spread on toast but jelly like a jelly bean or a not so gummy gummy bear.  My dislike of fruit outside of its natural state is well documented here.  It's only been a couple of years since I started eating jelly at all and I'm super picky about it.  I hate jelly beans - except for Starburst Jelly Beans, those are addicting.  I love gummy bears but those are so far removed from actual fruit hat they don't count - besides I prefer Happy Cola which are the King of Gummies.  I've never actually eaten Pâtes de Fruits because why on earth would I choose that?  Therefore, I don't know what they're even supposed to be or taste like but I'm confident that what I made is just wrong.

I did exactly what I thought I was supposed to do.  The recipe called for Black Current Fruit Puree, but I already had raspberry and cherry in the freezer from when I made the Jam recipes in this cookbook and Thomas said I could use other berry purees so this is not a true substitution and I don't blame the failure on this change.  The fruit puree is cooked with a s$@tload of sugar, fruit pectin (which is the jelling agent), glucose and apple juice.  This boils until is reaches 225 degrees.  Mine got to 228 degrees which is pretty darn close and, if anything, should have made it firmer.  After the mixture cooks a little bit of cream of tartar is added which is supposed to add some acidity and help set the pectin.

The cooked mixture gets poured into a pan to cool.  It's supposed to cool for 30 minutes and then be completely firm so that you can cut it into cute little squares and coat them in sugar.  The picture above shows my creation after 30 minutes.  Not set.

The picture above shows my mixture after 2 hours, 1 of which was in the refrigerator.  Not set.

Basically, I made the sweetest freakin' jelly you've ever tasted.  The kind of sweet that makes you grimace and want to eat a bowl of broccoli followed by a 10 minute tooth brushing session.  Awesome.

Enjoy!
Julie