Pâte de Fruit are brightly colored chewy treats made with—you guessed it—fruit. In France, they’re proudly displayed in the windows of confectioneries like shiny jewels. Here in America, they’re known as fruit jellies—so fancy right? These brightly colored fruit jellies will make everyone think you’re fancier than you really are.
The great thing about pâte de fruit is you can also infuse it with liquids. This opens up different possibilities. You could infuse it with alcohol, which for me means whiskey. Or, you can mix in tea or coffee to make your pâte de fruit caffeinated, which is so much more family friendly.
#SpoonTip: Replace your gelatin with pectin or agar in order to make this pâte de fruit recipe vegan.
Apricot-White Tea Pte de Fruit
Ingredients
Instructions
Lightly oil an straight-edged baking dish (I suggest a square). Line the dish with a sheet of wax or parchment paper that extends a few inches beyond the rim.
Strain the apricot syrup from the can into a saucepan and reserve the apricots. Add the dried apricots to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5-10 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a food processor or blender. Add the reserved canned apricots, the apricot preserves, lemon juice, and the ½ cup of sugar. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Boil the ⅓ cup water and add one teabag to steep for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool.
Transfer the apricot puree to the saucepan and boil over moderately high heat. Stir constantly for about 8 minutes or until it thickens and any excess liquid evaporates. Stirring is important otherwise the mixture will scorch as it comes to a boil.
Pour steeped tea into a microwave-safe bowl or glass. In small amounts (to avoid clumping) sprinkle the gelatin over the tea and stir between additions. Microwave 10-20 seconds to completely dissolve gelatin.
Stir the gelatin-tea mixture into the apricot puree.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and smooth the surface. Let cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare sanding sugar: Cut open unused teabags. Grind tea leaves into a powder. Mix about 1 teaspoon tea and 1 teaspoon lemon zest with 2 tablespoons sugar.
Using a sharp knife, cut the pâte into 1-inch squares or triangles. Spread sanding sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the pieces in the sugar to coat.