Best Gumdrop Gems Recipes

GUMDROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream shortening and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in almond extract. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in gumdrops. , In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into dough., Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

GUMDROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy; scrape side of bowl. Beat in egg just until smooth. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, beat flour mixture into sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup of the quartered gumdrops.
• Shape dough into 60 (1-inch) balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; flatten each ball to 1 1/2-inch circle. On each dough round, sprinkle sparkling sugar and place 3 quartered gumdrops.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set and light brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.

GUMDROP AND PISTACHIO NOUGAT

Steps:

• Line an 8-by-11-inch baking pan with plastic wrap and spray the wrap liberally with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper and spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Slice 1/2 cup of the gumdrops in half long ways with a paring knife and lay them flat-side down on the parchment. Roughly chop the remaining gumdrops and set aside.
• Put the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Combine 3 1/4 cups of the sugar, the honey, corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove sugar crystals and continue to cook, brushing the sides of the pan down occasionally, for 8 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. When the syrup reaches 260 degrees F, about 9 minutes, turn the stand mixer on to medium-high speed and whip the egg whites until foamy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and whip the egg whites until they hold firm peaks, about 3 minutes.
• Continue to cook the syrup, swirling the pot occasionally, until the mixture reaches 290 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Replace the stand mixer's whisk attachment with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, carefully pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the egg whites become stiff and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract and orange zest; mix to combine. Add the 1 cup chopped gumdrops and the pistachios to the nougat mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will be very stiff.
• Spread the nougat into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula sprayed with cooking spray. Spray a piece of parchment paper with nonstick spray and place over the nougat, sprayed-side down. Let sit at room temperature for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Once the nougat has set, place a piece of parchment paper on top of a cutting board and spray with cooking spray. Lift the nougat out of the pan and flip it over onto the cutting board, then peel off the plastic and parchment. Trim the edges with a large heavy knife sprayed with cooking spray. Cut the nougat into about 40 pieces, each about 1 1 /2 inches square, spraying the knife with cooking spray as needed.
• Wrap the squares individually in parchment paper. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

QUICK & EASY GUMDROPS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup water; let stand 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and remaining water to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add gelatin; reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in extract and food coloring as desired., Pour into a greased 8-in. square pan. Refrigerate, covered, 3 hours or until firm., Loosen edges of candy from pan with a knife; turn onto a sugared work surface. Cut into 1-in squares; roll in sugar. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until all sides are dry, turning every hour, 3-4 hours. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

HOMEMADE GUMDROPS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup water to soften; set aside.
• Put the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cherry-flavored gelatin to the pan, followed by the softened unflavored gelatin. Stir and remove from the heat. Continue stirring until the gelatins are dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain into a measuring cup and let cool for 5 minutes; it will be warm but not yet set. Pour the liquid into the molds. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Remove the gumdrops from the molds and place onto wax paper. Coat some in granulated red sugar, some in granulated white sugar and some in coarse white sugar; return to the wax paper. Store in a cool dry place until ready to eat.