Hilly’s Sour Gummy Hearts

STEP 1:

Prepare candy molds or a 9” x 3” loaf pan by spraying liberally with non-stick spray.

STEP 2:

Measure out pectin and ¾ cup of the sugar into a small bowl and mix until homogenous, set aside. (note: it’s best to measure out all ingredients for this recipe ahead of time – when the candy is ready the process will move quickly before they start to set!)

STEP 3:

In another small vessel (the smallest you have) mix together citric acid and 1 tsp water, mixing well to dissolve the acid. Set aside.

STEP 4:

Add the remaining 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup water, corn syrup, and pinch of salt to a medium sized saucepan and set over medium heat.

STEP 5:

Stir mixture with heat proof spatula regularly until it comes to rolling boil, then switch to a whisk and sloooowly mix in your pectin/sugar mixture, whisking constantly to avoid any clumps of pectin forming.

STEP 6:

Bring back to a boil – then lower your heat a bit to prevent scorching. Stir or whisk this mixture very often (also to prevent scorching).

STEP 7:

Boil your sugar mixture until it reaches 245 degrees. Pay close attention to your temperature here, try not to go over 245 or it can greatly affect your candies. This should take about 10 - 15 minutes. The mixture should also take on a slight golden color and thicken into a syrup-like consistency.

STEP 8:

Immediately remove the sugar from the heat when it hits temp and whisk in the drink mix until homogeneous and fully colorful (no streaks of plain sugar).

STEP 9:

Add the dissolved citric acid mixture and whisk to incorporate, but note: once the acid is added the pectin will start to set and thicken, so work quickly! The power of chemical reactions has no time to wait! Depending on your chosen drink mix the candy will take on a slightly different consistency, but it should firm up into a thick paste pretty quickly. Despite how thick it is, this mixture will still remain extremely hot! So be careful.

STEP 10:

Dollop candy into the prepared mold or spread into bottom of prepared pan. Bang pan on the counter a few times to burst any air bubbles and settle the mixture. Spray an offset spatula or bent spoon with more non-stick spray and you can smooth the top until level.

STEP 11:

Allow to set for at least 4 hours, uncovered, at room temperature (or better yet, overnight).

STEP 12:

Once set, mix your sugar coating in a medium bowl (or, use more drink mix as mentioned above).

STEP 13:

Pop candies out of mold directly into the sugar, take care as they will be sticky! If using a regular pan: grease a cutting board with non-stick spray, then flip the pan over onto the greased surface. Use more non-stick spray to coat your knife and slice into 1” wide strips, greasing the knife again as needed. Then slice each strip into 1” squares, toss in sugar.

STEP 14:

Allow to dry out at room temp for a bit before wrapping airtight – or if you can stand to wait, allowing them to dry for a further 24 hours on a parchment lined sheet tray at room temp will increase the chewiness by a bit.

STEP 15:

Store at room temp well wrapped for about 2 weeks. Try to store in one or two layers – too many candies on top of one another will end up squished. Candy may absorb coating sugar over time, so re-toss in citric sugar as desired