guest post from Cheryl of Sew Can Do: DIY Gumdrops!!

Hi Everyone, I'm Cheryl from Sew Can Do.  I love all sorts of crafting (especially sewing), but I've been branching out into more treat making this year, since I am a big treat lover.  Meaghan was sweet enough to share one of her tutorials for the Tasty Treats segment of my CraftShare extravaganza, so I though I'd return the favor and guest over here with one of my mine: Make Your Own Gumdrops.

Gum drops are such a fun candy.  Pretty, colorful and tasty.  And super easy to make.  The recipe is simple, but you can get creative with your own custom flavors, colors & molds to make them perfect for any occasion or just to have a fun treat any old time.  

Do some exotic ones for yourself or treat the kids to some - they will LOVE these.  I made some root beer flavored ones a while back and this time did some bubble gum and key lime.  They were all delicious.    

This recipe is from an amazing book called Candy Cookbook.  My great-grandmother gave it to me when I was a little girl and I have treasured it every since.  The candy stains all over it can prove it.  All the recipes are great, but this one is ideal because it's nearly goof-proof and doesn't require a candy thermometer.

You'll need:

Ingredients
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Corn Syrup
3/4 cup Water
1 Box Powdered Fruit Pectin (find it in the baking/canning section)
1/2tsp. Baking Soda
A few drops of Flavor Oil (Lor-Ann makes loads of flavors)
A few drops of Food Coloring

Gear:
Vegetable Oil
Silicone Mold
2 small saucepans
Heat resistant spoons (wooden or silicone are best)
Waxed Paper
Extra sugar for rolling (about 1 cup)

First thing (and most important!!) is to grease up the silicone molds with vegetable oil.  This will make the candies turn out perfectly shaped and be easy to remove.  The simpler and smaller the shapes, the better.  I used a Wilton silicone mold with 24 star-like shapes, which was ideal.  This recipe will make about 1.25lbs of gum drops.

In one saucepan mix the sugar & corn syrup.  In the other mix the pectin, baking soda and water.  Put both on stove top over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  When both are boiling and the foam on the baking soda mixture has died down (about 5-10min), pour mixture into the boiling sugar/corn syrup saucepan.  Stir continuously for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in a few drops of flavor oil & food coloring.

Quickly pour hot candy into mold and let it set for 24hrs.

When candy is ready, flip mold upside down over a piece of waxed paper and gently push pieces out from bottom.  This is where a good oiling makes a difference!

Let candy firm up for another 24hrs and then roll each piece in sugar.  Store in an airtight container, with waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking.  If it lasts long enough to store, that is.

These turn out sooo nice and are almost too pretty to eat.  I say almost because we ate most of them already.  Add in some tart flavor enhancer and powdered citric acid to the rolling sugar and you have sour ones.  Next on my list is to make some Champagne flavored ones and I definitely plan to get some more molds for some holiday themed gumdrop treats.

Time to get tasty - give 'em a try - you will love them!!  Thanks for having me over Meaghan!